Taiwan’s President Tsai
Ing-wen is the only head of state so far to publicly
accept the invitation to visit
Swaziland for King Mswati III’s 50th birthday.
Taiwan has already donated US$1.3
million to the cost of the
so-called 50/50 Celebrations on 19 April 2018 to mark the King’s birthday and
the 50th anniversary of Swaziland’s Independence from Great Britain.
Taiwan has been cosying-up
to Swaziland for many years as the kingdom, ruled by King Mswati, sub-Saharan
Africa’s last absolute monarch, is only one of 20 countries worldwide that has
diplomatic relations with it. Taiwan wants Swaziland to support its campaign to
join the United Nations (UN).
Taiwanese companies have
set up textile factories in Swaziland and have become known for their poor pay and working
conditions.
Taiwan also donates aid to
Swaziland. It regularly supplies tens of thousands of pairs of sneakers to women who participate in the annual Reed Dance
where ‘maidens’ dance topless in front of the King. It is also spending E260 million (US$21 million) over five years
to rebuild the out-patient department of Mbabane Government Hospital.
The
Taiwan official news agency CNA
reported President Tsai Ing-wen would visit Swaziland with a delegation.
‘During their time in the kingdom, the officials would not only meet with Swazi
officials, but would also inspect many of the medical, agricultural and
educational initiatives that Taiwan has undertaken in the nation,’ it said.
In 2012 after a visit to
Swaziland the former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said the
country would ‘conditionally
provide assistance’ to the kingdom, but did not publicly
reveal what these conditions might be.
Taipei observers know that to get aid from Taiwan
(officially known as the Republic of China) you have to give it in return
international support for its continued diplomatic row with the People’s
Republic of China (‘mainland’ China).
Taiwan is generally not recognised in the
international community and is not allowed to sit in the UN. Taiwan wants to join the UN and Swaziland has a vote
that could be used to support it. Because the
People’s Republic of China does not want Taiwan in the UN, few
countries support Taiwan. Those, like Swaziland, that do, get ‘friendship’,
usually in the form of development aid or hotel trips to Taiwan for newspaper
editors and politicians.
Taiwan has a policy of buying friendship with
developing countries and Swaziland is one of these ‘friends’.
On his trip, President Ma gave
Swaziland 300 notebook computers worth US$300,000
and 1,080 metric tonnes rice worth US$157,400 to help feed the hungry people in
Swaziland, where seven in ten people earn less than US$2 a day.
In return, King Mswati gave the President a lavish
state banquet and a medal.
In 2008, the Taiwanese President visited Swaziland for
the 40/40 Celebrations but the trip did not play well back home. One newspaper columnist Johnny Neihu, writing in the Taipei
Times suspected that King Mswati
III had only sent out the invitation to Ma so he could tap Taiwan for more
money.
He wrote, ‘Should Ma
attend, the King will probably turn round as everyone is leaving and ask Ma to
help pick up the bar tab, or hit him with a request to help pay for some new
gold brocade cushion covers in the presidential palace, or even worse, buy new
shoes for all of his children and grandchildren.’
Neihu went on to warn the
Taiwanese President to lock up his daughters if he takes up the invitation to
visit Swaziland. Or better still, leave them at home.
See also
POOR
AND SICK PAY FOR KING’S BIRTHDAY
THE NOT-SO-GENEROUS SWAZI KING
‘SLAVE LABOUR’ AT TEXTILE FACTORY
EXPLOITATION
BY TAIWAN TEXTILES
COST
OF ‘FRIENDSHIP’ WITH TAIWAN
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