Taiwan (Formosa-Kina) belønner sine afrikanske venner, men er heller ikke bleg for at straffe dem, hvis de går over til Kommunist-Kina i kampen om international anerkendelse og en plads i FN – men Swazi-kongen har behov for venner.
President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan on his recent visit to Swaziland said his country would ‘conditionally provide assistance’ to its diplomatic allies in Africa, writes Swaziland Newsletter in its latest edition Friday.
What he did not spell out was just what these conditions might be. But, normally it means 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 United Nations (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. Swaziland, ruled by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, has few friends itself in the international community and seeks out help wherever it may be. The King had close ties with Colonel Muammar Gadaffi before the Libyan leader was toppled from power.
King Mswati finds himself isolated as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, in a kingdom where all political parties and opposition groups are banned.
On his trip this week President Ma gave Swaziland 300 notebook computers worth 300.000 US dollar and 1.080 tonnes of rice worth 157.400 dollar to help feed the hungry people in Swaziland, where seven in ten people earn less than two dollar (ca. 11 DKR) a day.
In return, King Mswati gave the president a state banquet and a medal.
While in Swaziland, President Ma said Taiwan would not oppose its allies’ trade links with China as long as they did not establish diplomatic ties.
And that was a warning to Swaziland. Malawi found this out in March 2008 when it decided to support the People’s Republic of China. Taiwan immediately withdraw its aid from Malawi.
Instead, Taiwan transferred what should have gone to Malawi and gave it to Swaziland.
Se også “EXPLOITATION BY TAIWAN TEXTILES
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2012/04/exploitation-by-taiwan-textiles.html
Kilde: News from and about Swaziland, compiled by Africa Contact, Denmark (www.afrika.dk) in collaboration with Swazi Media Commentary (www.swazimedia.blogspot.com), and sent to all with an interest in Swaziland – free of charge.
