Taiwan’s President Tsai begins visit to remaining ally Eswatini in southern Africa

By HUIZHONG WU
Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has begun a four-day trip to the African nation of Eswatini, one of the island’s 13 remaining allies. Tsai, who is serving her last year as president, is visiting the country of 1.1 million people in southern Africa to “celebrate the friendship between the two countries,” she said, as she departed Taiwan. Since Tsai took office in 2016, China has started putting pressure on countries that have a diplomatic relationship with Taiwan to switch their formal recognition from Taiwan to China. Beijing has successfully poached 9 countries, leaving Taiwan with just 13 countries that acknowledge its statehood.