The Taiwanese President, Tsai Ing-wen is at present, visiting Eswatini, in an effort to reinforce ties with the country’s only associate in Africa.
President Ing-wen will be in the country as from Tuesday, September 5 to Thursday, September 7 for the 55th anniversary of Eswatini’s independence. The Taiwanese president will also be present to mark the two countries’ 55 years of bilateral relations.
During the visit Ing-wen will meet with the country’s monarch, King Mswati III, and pay a call to a local hospital and some Taiwan-sponsored projects before departing for her home country on Friday, September 8.
The Taiwanese president had remarked that her trip to Estwatini, was to “celebrate the friendship between the two countries and encourage sustainable ties”.
Taiwan is at present, claimed by China as its own region, with zero right to state-to-state relations. The country has formal ties with only 13 countries including Eswatini.
Eswatini is almost completely enclosed by South Africa, which Chinese President Xi Jinping had visited last month in August 2023.