Beijing is entrenching its business and economic interests in Eswatini in an increasingly successful courtship of Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in Africa, Semafor Africa said in a report on Tuesday.
The kingdom of Eswatini has long supported Taiwan and was the only one of Africa’s 54 nations to decline to attend last week’s triennial China-Africa summit in Beijing, the media outlet said.
Yet, the southern African nation is “quietly warming to China” as an influx of Chinese “enterprises, businesspeople and even state actors” dig “deep roots in Eswatini’s economy,” it said, citing sources in the local business community.
Photo: AP
Ambassador to Eswatini Jeremy Liang (梁洪昇) was cited as saying that a “significant number of Chinese nationals” flowing into Eswatini, a nation of 1.2 million people, would eventually “undermine” Taiwan’s diplomatic mission.
In another indication of strengthening ties, Eswatini mines authority head Guduza Dlamini and a high-profile local entrepreneur led a delegation late year, allegedly to talk with Chinese investors and pave the way for establishing diplomatic relations, it said.
Eswatini government spokesman Alpheous Nxumalo had denied that the delegation’s mission was to initiate dialogue about the kingdom switching diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China, the report said.
That statement is belied by Eswatini’s awarding of a US$165 million project to build the Mpakeni Embankment Dam to Beijing-owned ChinaPower, the outlet said.
The Eswatini government said at the time that even though the kingdom has “yet to establish formal diplomatic relations” with China, it recognizes ChinaPower’s “brand influence in the southern African region.”
Taiwan established an embassy at Mbabane, the capital of Eswatini, in 1968, the year it declared its independence from the UK.
So far, Eswatini has resisted Beijing’s calls for it to cut ties with Taiwan, including threats to sever all economic ties. The kingdom is one of the Taiwan’s 12 diplomatic allies.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
RSS