September 20, 2018
No.243
Jeremy H.S. Liang, R.O.C. (Taiwan) Ambassador to the Kingdom of Eswatini, reiterated in a letter to the editor of the Times of Swaziland published September 13 that Taiwan is a loyal friend and perfect partner for Eswatini in advancing prosperity and sustainable national development.
Ambassador Liang’s letter was a response to a September 4 letter to the editor from a local reader entitled “Taiwan vs China Debate,” which called for open debate on whether Eswatini would benefit more from cooperation with Taiwan or investments from China. This earlier letter acknowledged that Taiwan has been “a good friend for Eswatini for many years and has been a true development partner through health, agriculture, textiles.” Drawing attention to the huge infrastructure projects undertaken by Chinese companies in African nations such as Nigeria, Ethiopia and Angola, it suggested that Eswatini could miss out on Chinese investment initiatives because of diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
In an effort to clarify any possible misunderstanding in the international community and prevent more African nations from being lured into China’s debt trap, Ambassador Liang pointed out in his letter that even though “China’s financial promises glitter like gold in the midday sun,” the facts are that “highways, ports and railways built in ‘partnership’ with Chinese firms quickly become unaffordable burdens” and are handed back to China to serve as “conduits for efficiently exporting a country’s natural resources and importing low-quality goods and cheap labor.” Ambassador Liang added that “China’s debt-trap diplomacy, as African, Balkan and South Asian countries have quickly come to discover, is a one-way ticket to poverty and servitude. It is also a surefire way of surrendering sovereignty forever.”
Furthermore, Ambassador Liang observed that “Africa and its people are celebrated the world over for casting off the shackles of colonialism. It would be a tragedy to turn back time for nothing more than the promise of a so-called free lunch.”
Taiwan and Eswatini have maintained a close and cordial partnership since establishing diplomatic ties on September 6, 1968. Under the bilateral cooperation framework, Taiwan assists the Kingdom in meeting developmental needs and promoting priority programs each year that enhance people’s livelihoods. These programs cover areas such as human resources, solar power, energy and minerals. In addition, Taiwan has a Medical Mission and Technical Mission in Eswatini, which conduct cooperative projects in medicine, agriculture, vocational training and ICT, providing substantial benefits to many people at the grassroots level. All these endeavors have achieved considerable success, winning widespread acclaim from all sectors of Eswatini society as well as the international community. Taiwan will continue to uphold its steadfast diplomacy of mutual assistance for mutual benefit and deepen people-centered cooperation with its diplomatic allies. (E)