Taiwanese leader tours Eswatini amid ongoing diplomatic isolation

Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te visited Eswatini’s key development projects Sunday as the island seeks to reinforce ties with its last remaining ally in Africa amid growing international isolation.

Lai toured the Ezulwini Palazzo, a world-class international convention center, which he described as a future-oriented industrial layout.

“The prestigious facility will attract more Taiwanese entrepreneurs to invest, cultivate local talent and promote integration into global supply chains,” he said.

During his visit to the Royal Science and Technology Park, Lai received a briefing on valuable Taiwanese financial support in helping the kingdom to build a strategic oil storage facility.

He described it as among the significant projects since Taiwan and Eswatini established diplomatic ties in 1968.

“The strategic oil storage tank creates energy security and national resilience,” he said.

In a bid to strengthen diplomatic ties with the Eswatini royal household, Lai paid a courtesy visit to Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Indlovukazi Ntombi Tfwala, who was grateful for the development assistance Eswatini received from Taiwan. They exchanged gifts as a token of goodwill and mutual cooperation between the two sides.

Upon arriving Saturday via King Mswati III’s private jet, Lai took a swipe at China.

“No country has the right to block Taiwan and no country should ever block Taiwan from contributing to the world,” he said.

“The Republic of Taiwan is a sovereign country. Taiwan is the Taiwan of the world. The 23.3 million Taiwanese people have engaged and embraced the world.

“Thank you your majesty for remaining on the side of Taiwan and always voicing staunch support for Taiwan on the international stage,” he added.

“Our 58 years of ties are unwavering and our cooperation will continue to strengthen between our people, will continue to deepen or relations. That shows that the people of the Republic of Taiwan and the kingdom of Eswatini are truly a family."

Lai arrived in Eswatini on Saturday after he failed to attend King Mswati’s double celebrations of 40 years on the throne and 58-year royal birthday after his own aircraft was reportedly blocked by China.

Mainland China allegedly pressured Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar to revoke Lai’s flight permits in compliance with the One China Policy.