A Chinese policy to give tariff-free treatment to goods from all African nations except for Eswatini, which formally recognizes Taiwan, would not have much of an economic impact on the African kingdom, a Taiwanese official said yesterday.
During a legislative hearing, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) said the tariff-free policy should have a “minimal, almost negligible” economic effect on the African ally.
Chen said that Beijing’s decision to provide full tariff-free treatment to 53 African countries other than Eswatini starting next month could have a “psychological impact” on the country.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
President William Lai (賴清德) is traveling to the kingdom next week to show Taiwan’s support and demonstrate how Taiwan can help Eswatini develop its economy, Chen said.
Chen gave his assessment when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Chun-yu (陳俊宇) to comment on China’s new trade policy, which excludes Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally on the African continent.
The policy would have little impact on Eswatini because Africa has a large trade deficit with China, with China primarily importing raw materials from the continent, Chen Ming-chi said.
China’s exports to Africa are mostly manufactured goods that help Beijing address its domestic industrial overcapacity, he said.
Taiwan would continue to help Eswatini develop its economy, including by importing more of its products and promoting them across the African continent, he said.
Total trade between China and Africa surged to a record US$348.05 billion last year, a 17.7 percent annual increase, underscoring Beijing’s focus on emerging markets amid US tariffs, a report published in January by Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University’s Centre for African Studies said.
The surge was accompanied by a 64.5 percent increase in Africa’s trade deficit with China to US$102.01 billion, the report said.
“This widening gap has sparked concerns among some observers that the continent is becoming a dumping ground for cheap Chinese goods, potentially undermining the industrialization ambitions of African nations,” the report said.
Bilateral trade between Taiwan and Eswatini totals about US$8 million annually. The two countries have an economic cooperation agreement that has been in effect since 2018.
Eswatini’s main exports to Taiwan include ethyl alcohol, sauces, grapefruit, machine parts, cotton yarn and metal jewelry, while Taiwan’s main exports to Eswatini consist of rice, printing machinery, filament yarn, dyeing machines, slide fasteners and garments.
The Presidential Office on Monday announced that Lai would visit Eswatini from Wednesday next week to April 27, mainly to attend celebrations for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession to the throne and his 58th birthday.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS