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By Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNA
President William Lai (賴清德) has been formally welcomed ahead of his trip to Africa this week by more than 40 political figures from 11 African nations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today.
Lai is to make his first official trip to the continent when he visits Eswatini — Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in Africa — from Wednesday to Sunday for celebrations marking King Mswati III’s 40th jubilee.
The trip would strengthen ties with African nations across regions and political parties, injecting new momentum into Taiwan-Africa relations, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said in an interview this morning.
Photo: Liao Chen-hui, Taipei Times
Taiwan has six representative offices in Africa spanning five countries, while maintaining quasi-official diplomatic relations with Somaliland, he said.
More than 40 cross-party officials from various regions across Sub-Saharan Africa expressed their welcome through official letters, social media posts and personal messages, the ministry said.
They also expressed support for Taiwan’s efforts to build industrial resilience in Africa and expand cooperation initiatives, it said.
Messages of support poured in from Botswana, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe, it said.
He has also been welcomed by countries in Africa home to Taiwanese representative offices, including South Africa, Nigeria and Somaliland, it added.
Taiwan and Eswatini maintain close exchanges in key sectors, from economics, information technology and energy, to agriculture and public health, the ministry said.
Lin said that China would likely protest Taiwan’s international engagement during Lai’s upcoming trip, but it is only natural for Taipei to accept invitations from its diplomatic allies.
Any reaction from China would not influence Taiwan’s relationship with Eswatini, he added.
Asked why Lai has not yet transited through the US on a foreign visit, Lin said that the country welcomes Lai to visit in the future, in line with past practice.
“We have faith,” he said, adding that it is just a matter of waiting for the right timing, purpose and justification.
The ministry typically plans overseas trips for the president twice a year, in the first and second halves, although the final decision lies with the Presidential Office, he added.
Additional reporting by Huang Ching-hsuan
