President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said that she is visiting the Kingdom of Eswatini to celebrate the diplomatic relationship between Taiwan and the African country, and promote sustainable cooperation.
“Eswatini has always taken a stand in staunch support of Taiwan, giving us confidence and strength to continue contributing to the world,” Tsai said at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport before leaving on a four-day trip to the African nation.
This year marks the 55th anniversary of Eswatini’s independence and the diplomatic ties between the two countries, as well as King Mswati’s 55th birthday.
Photo: Taiwan Presidential Office via AP
Eswatini has spoken up for Taiwan on many international occasions and King Mswati III has visited Taiwan 18 times since he took the throne in 1986, she said.
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, exchanges between Taiwan and Eswatini have become more frequent, which have produced fruitful results in public health, medicine, women’s empowerment and agricultural technology, Tsai said.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), who is part of Tsai’s delegation, is visiting Eswatini to sign an agreement formalizing sister city relations with Mbabane, the African nation’s capital.
Photo: AP
Tsai encouraged other local governments to likewise deepen partnerships with Eswatini.
“Diplomatic work is a cumulative, step-by-step process, and Taiwan will persevere in its international engagement, as we forge ahead with resolve and confidence, showing the world that Taiwan is a stable force for good,” she said.
Tsai added that she had instructed her administrative team to keep in touch with local governments to provide post-disaster assistance as Typhoon Haikui wreaked havoc on parts of the country over the past few days.
The government is to provide relief and compensation for agricultural losses, as well as activate the price stabilization mechanism for fruits and vegetables, she said.
Asked about Tsai’s visit, Alpheous Nxumalo, a spokesperson for the Eswatini government, told the Voice of America (VOA) that he did not “anticipate any friction” between Taiwan and China to arise from Tsai’s visit.
Throughout the 55 years of Eswatini being Taiwan’s diplomatic ally, “we have never had any issues and it is not for the first time by the way that the president of Taiwan visits the Kingdom of Eswatini,” he said.
“Eswatini’s diplomatic relations with Taiwan are by choice, based on national interests,” Percy Simelane, a spokesperson for Eswatini King Mswati III, told VOA, adding that Taiwan “has been a strong development partner.”
Taiwan is strategically important for Eswatini in terms of its assistance in education, health, infrastructure and agriculture, Sanele Sibiya, an economics lecturer at the University of Eswatini, told VOA.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in