Taiwan Leader To Visit Last African Ally Eswatini

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will next month visit Eswatini, its only African ally, as she seeks to reinforce ties between the two nations.

She will attend celebrations to mark the country’s independence day and King Mswati III’s birthday during the visit.

Her trip, between 5 and 7 September, will also mark 55 years of the countries’ bilateral relations.

Taiwan is claimed by China as its own territory with no right to state-to-state relations. It has formal ties with only 13 countries including Eswatini.

Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Roy Lee is quoted as telling reporters that the Taiwanese president’s visit is not to compete with Chinese President’s Xi Jinping visit to neighbouring South Africa this week.

Ms Tsai last visited Eswatini in 2018. It is the only African country that maintains diplomatic relations with the Asian island after Burkina Faso switched to China in May 2018

BBC/Jide Johnson.