The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it would endeavor to consolidate its ties with the nation’s last remaining African ally, Eswatini, to the best of its ability after Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) pledged US$60 billion in financial support for projects in Africa.
Asked whether the ministry is worried the financial support could affect Taiwan’s 50 years of relations with Eswatini Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Liu Bang-zyh (劉邦治) said the money would certainly create pressure on Eswatini.
“The ministry will keep a close eye on the issue, while doing our best to strengthen our relations with the African nation,” Liu told a routine news conference in Taipei.
Xi made the pledges at the opening ceremony of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation on Monday in Beijing, which was attended by representatives from the 53 African nations that have formal diplomatic relations with China.
The financial support is to be provided in the form of loans, investment and government assistance, Xi said, adding that China would also write off its interest-free loans to indebted African nations that are not paid off by the end of this year.
Liu said to his knowledge, Eswatini did not receive an invitation to the forum, despite Beijing’s repeatedly stated determination to bring the nation into its fold.
“I believe our ties with Eswatini are strong at the moment,” Liu said, citing as an example the participation of seven Taiwanese companies at the ongoing 11-day Eswatini International Trade Fair in Manzini.
In November, the Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association is to lead an agricultural business scouting delegation to Eswatini at the behest of the government, ministry spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) said.
President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration has endeavored to keep its last African ally as China has stepped up efforts to poach Taiwan’s diplomatic allies.
Beijing has converted five former Taiwanese allies in the past two years.
Tsai in April instructed the National Security Council to propose an “Africa Project” to increase the nation’s presence in Africa after concluding her state visit to Eswatini that month.
The ministry has also earmarked more than NT$600 million (US$19.5 million) in diplomatic spending for West Asia and Africa next year, an increase of almost NT$400 million, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the sister paper of the Taipei Times) reported on Saturday.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
RSS