Taiwan President Lai To Visit Eswatini, Last Diplomatic Ally In Africa

Taiwan’s President, Lai Ching-te, is set to visit Eswatini, in a move that underscores the island’s shrinking pool of diplomatic allies amid growing pressure from China.

The self-governed island currently maintains formal diplomatic relations with just 12 countries, largely smaller nations across Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific, including Belize and Tuvalu.

China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, continues to oppose any official state-to-state engagements between Taipei and other countries.

Unlike previous trips to Latin America that often involve transit through the United States and draw strong objections from Beijing, Lai’s visit to Eswatini will be a direct trip, avoiding stopovers.

This marks Lai’s first overseas visit since November 2024, when he travelled to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, with transit stops in Hawaii and the US territory of Guam.

The last visit by a Taiwanese president to Eswatini was in 2023, when former President Tsai Ing-wen made the trip.

Eswatini, a southern African kingdom almost entirely surrounded by South Africa, has maintained close diplomatic ties with Taiwan, benefiting from economic and medical support, including antiviral medication provided in 2021 to aid the monarch’s recovery from COVID-19.

The visit highlights Taipei’s continued efforts to sustain its diplomatic relationships despite increasing international pressure from Beijing.

TNAM
Edited By Egwu Patience Nnennaya.