Taiwan–Swaziland Relations: Interrogating an Enduring Bond

Abstract

Any discussion of Taiwan–Swaziland relations must include China. Beijing and Taipei have been competing for international support for their  respective courses since 1949: China or the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) sees Taiwan or the Republic of China (ROC) as its renegade province and opposes Taiwan’s quest for membership in the UN and its allied institutions. So states which have diplomatic ties with Beijing cannot establish them with Taipei. Swaziland is one of only four countries in Africa that have formal ties with Taipei – the others are Sao Tome, Principe, Gambia and Burkina Faso. Despite Beijing’s changed policy behaviour towards Africa, its improved relationship with Taipei and its growing economic power and appeal in Africa, Swaziland has kept its political ties with Taiwan. This study is therefore an attempt to understand why Swaziland, a small and economically weak state in Southern Africa, has so far resisted the ‘allure’ of Beijing and maintained its ties with Taipei.