Politicians and lawmakers from 11 African countries welcomed President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) visit to Eswatini, which begins today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, hailing it as a diplomatic success.
Tsai is to leave for Eswatini today on a four-day trip to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the independence of Taiwan’s African ally.
More than 80 cross-party parliamentarians from 11 African countries — South Africa, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Namibia and Somaliland — issued a joint statement on behalf of the Formosa Club members in Africa to welcome Tsai’s visit, the ministry said in a press release.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The statement acknowledged the outcome brought by the Africa Program, which Tsai launched after her previous trip to Eswatini in 2018, the ministry said.
Taiwan demonstrated its value and importance to Africa’s development through the program, which has fostered closer ties between the nation and Africa in agriculture, education, information and communications technology, energy, trade and tourism, the statement said.
The Formosa Club in Africa expressed its hope to continue bolstering cooperation with Taiwan, “a beacon and a success story of democracy in the world,” it said.
John Steenhuisen, leader of South Africa’s opposition party Democratic Alliance, sent a letter to welcome Tsai on behalf of the party and all freedom-loving African friends, the ministry said.
Taiwan’s dedication to safeguarding the universal values of democracy, freedom, rule of law and human rights regardless of China’s ever-expanding threat and oppression “is admirable,” the ministry quoted Steenhuisen as saying.
Tsai’s visit to Africa shows Taiwan’s clear commitment to expanding cooperation with Africa in areas such as trade and cultural development, Steenhuisen said.
The Democratic Alliance is a firm friend of Taiwan, he said, adding that he hoped Tsai would visit South Africa someday.
Narend Singh, chief whip and treasurer-general of South Africa’s Inkatha Freedom Party, also welcomed Tsai on behalf of his party, the ministry said.
Former Botswana president Ian Khama paid tribute to Tsai’s commitment to Taiwan’s freedom and democracy in a letter, it said.
Khama called on democratic countries around the world to stand together in solidarity to safeguard democracy and address common challenges, adding that he believed Tsai’s visit would further bolster relations between Africa and Taiwan, the ministry said.
The warm welcome and support from Taiwan’s friends in Africa showed that the nation’s freedom, democracy and open economic system earned their recognition, the ministry said.
It is also an approval of the “Taiwan Model” — cooperating with African countries through pragmatic diplomacy and mutual assistance, it added.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
Two US House of Representatives committees yesterday condemned China’s attempt to orchestrate a crash involving Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) car when she visited the Czech Republic last year as vice president-elect. Czech local media in March last year reported that a Chinese diplomat had run a red light while following Hsiao’s car from the airport, and Czech intelligence last week told local media that Chinese diplomats and agents had also planned to stage a demonstrative car collision. Hsiao on Saturday shared a Reuters news report on the incident through her account on social media platform X and wrote: “I
SHIFT PRIORITIES: The US should first help Taiwan respond to actions China is already taking, instead of focusing too heavily on deterring a large-scale invasion, an expert said US Air Force leaders on Thursday voiced concerns about the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) missile capabilities and its development of a “kill web,” and said that the US Department of Defense’s budget request for next year prioritizes bolstering defenses in the Indo-Pacific region due to the increasing threat posed by China. US experts said that a full-scale Chinese invasion of Taiwan is risky and unlikely, with Beijing more likely to pursue coercive tactics such as political warfare or blockades to achieve its goals. Senior air force and US Space Force leaders, including US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and
Czech officials have confirmed that Chinese agents surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March 2024 and planned a collision with her car as part of an “unprecedented” provocation by Beijing in Europe. Czech Military Intelligence learned that their Chinese counterparts attempted to create conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, which “did not go beyond the preparation stage,” agency director Petr Bartovsky told Czech Radio in a report yesterday. In addition, a Chinese diplomat ran a red light to maintain surveillance of the Taiwanese
RSS