On Thursday, September 5, the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation opened, marking a core diplomatic event for China’s engagement with Africa. One notable absence at the summit was King Mswati III of The Kingdom of Eswatini, the last African country that still recognizes the Republic of China (Taiwan) instead of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Eswatini, with a land area similar to New Jersey in the United States and a population of around 1.2 million, is an inland country located between Mozambique and South Africa. It stands as one of the few remaining diplomatic allies of Taiwan among the countries with formal relations with the island.
For over seventy years, Beijing has continuously sought to eliminate Taiwan’s influence in Africa. However, Eswatini’s persistence in maintaining diplomatic ties with Taiwan has clearly irked Beijing. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Mao Ning, remarked earlier that Eswatini’s official relations with Taiwan were not in the kingdom’s self-interest, expressing confidence in Eswatini eventually aligning with what China deems as the global trend.
According to a report by Bloomberg, a Taiwanese official speaking anonymously expressed Taiwan’s confidence in sustaining its diplomatic relationship with Eswatini, describing King Mswati III as a staunch ally of Taiwan.
This week, King Mswati III inaugurated a Taiwan Pavilion at a trade exhibition held in his country, choosing to steer clear of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum organized by the PRC.
In May this year, King Mswati III visited Taiwan and attended the presidential inauguration of President Tsai Ing-wen. In response, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Lin Jian, condemned the move as a “serious provocation” against the One-China principle and Chinese sovereignty.
The Kingdom of Eswatini appears content to avoid entanglements in China’s African development projects, which have predominantly focused on large-scale infrastructure projects and loans.
Data from the International Monetary Fund shows that Eswatini’s debt-to-GDP ratio stands at around 40%, lower than the sub-Saharan African average of approximately 60%, highlighting the relatively lower indebtedness of Eswatini compared to its regional counterparts.
Taiwan’s assistance to Eswatini has primarily been in the form of grants. Neil Reikenburg, Eswatini’s Finance Minister, mentioned in a media interview in May that he believes the relationship with Taiwan has yielded significant benefits over the past decade.