Taiwan and Eswatini: Africa's Last Diplomatic Lifeline, Hanging on One Person

30-Second Overview: Eswatini (Eswatini, renamed from "Swaziland" in 2018) is Taiwan's only remaining diplomatic partner in Africa. It established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China in September 1968, marking 58 years by 2026. King Mswati III was born in April 1968; five months later, the nation gained independence and established diplomatic relations with Taiwan on the same day. His life almost completely overlaps with the history of Taiwan-Eswatini relations. As of 2024, he has visited Taiwan more than 17 times¹. After Nauru broke relations in January 2024, Eswatini became Taiwan's sole diplomatic partner in Africa². On May 2, 2026, Lai Ching-te's first visit to a friendly nation after taking office was originally scheduled for April 22. However, on April 21, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar unexpectedly revoked flight permits under pressure from China, creating an "air blockade." Mswati then dispatched the country's Airbus A340 royal aircraft, sending Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla to Taipei to pick up Lai Ching-te. Lai flew directly from Taipei to Mbabane on May 2³. On May 1 of the same year, China granted zero-tariff treatment for 98% of tariff items to 53 African countries, deliberately excluding Eswatini⁴. The greatest variable in this diplomatic lifeline is whether the successor after Mswati can persuade a generation with 56% youth unemployment to continue viewing Taiwan as a friend (a question harder to answer than "how much money China uses").

The President Borrows an Aircraft

Hey, did you know that on May 2, 2026, at 9:00 AM, Lai Ching-te stepped off an Airbus A340 aircraft borrowed from Eswatini's King Mswati III, landing at Mbabane Airport³.

This A340-313 is not a Taiwanese aircraft. It is a royal aircraft owned by the Eswatini royal family. The original plan for Lai Ching-te's visit was to depart from Taipei on April 22. However, on April 21, the trip was紧急 called off. Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar simultaneously and unexpectedly revoked the aircraft's flight permits. Analysis points directly to China pressuring these three African island nations with economic coercion, resulting in an "air blockade"⁵.

Mswati's move was decisive: He sent his Deputy Prime Minister, Thulisile Dladla, aboard the royal aircraft from Mbabane to Taipei. On the early morning of May 2, Dladla picked up Lai Ching-te in Taipei and flew back to Eswatini, arriving at 9:00 AM that same morning.

"King Eswatini lends an aircraft to the Taiwanese President to break through China's blockade" is the essence of this visit itself. The Wall Street Journal characterized it as a "surprise visit," while Al Jazeera's headline read "despite China's attempts to block trip"⁶. CNA also recorded this process of arriving in Eswatini via a special aircraft on its official channel.

On May 2, 2026, Lai Ching-te received an Eswatini military honor at Mbabane Airport. Photo: Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan). OGDL via Official Press Release.

The arrival scene was simple but heavy with significance: Prime Minister Russell Dlamini, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu, Taiwan's Ambassador to Eswatini, Jeremy H.S. Liang, and Eswatini's Protocol Officer, Khandlela Mdluli, personally welcomed him. Lai Ching-te received the military honor and greeted the staff of the Eswatini Embassy and the families of the Taiwanese technical teams one by one⁷. CNA's official channel recorded the full process of President Lai Ching-te arriving in the Kingdom of Eswatini for a State Visit.

The political subtext of this airport scene is linked to another September in 1968.

Synchronicity of a Birth Year

Mswati III's birth name is Makhosetive Dlamini. He was born on April 19, 1968, in Swaziland, which was then a British protectorate. Five months later—on September 6—Swaziland gained independence and in the same year established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China¹⁸.

In other words, this king, now 58 years old, has a life that almost completely overlaps with the history of Taiwan-Eswatini diplomatic relations. When he was born, there was no relationship with Taiwan; when he came of age, this relationship already existed. After he ascended the throne (on April 25, 1986, at the age of 18 years and 6 days, he was the world's youngest reigning monarch⁹), he became the personification of this relationship.

The density of visits to Taiwan is also astonishing. According to records from the Eswatini Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as of May 2024, Mswati III has visited Taiwan more than 17 times¹. October 1989, October 1997, October 1998, May 2000, July 2001, May 2004, June 2006, September 2007, May 2008, July 2010, October 2012, May 2013, May 2015, May 2016, June 2018, October 2022, May 2024—averaging once every two years. This density is unique among foreign leaders visiting Taiwan.

Professor Yang Hao of the Institute of East Asian Studies at National Chengchi University pointed out the key in an interview with BBC Chinese: "It is precisely because the King himself holds real power that, as long as he is willing to maintain diplomatic relations, there will not be too much noise domestically."¹⁰

In other words, Taiwan's last diplomatic lifeline in Africa is hanging on one person. This is both its stability and its fragility.

Deliberately Skipping Eswatini

On May 1, 2026—the day before Lai Ching-te's visit to Eswatini—China announced zero-tariff treatment for 98% of tariff items for 53 African countries. Eswatini was the only one excluded⁴¹¹.

This is "deliberately skipping."

Being one short of 53 countries is mathematically just 52/53, but politically it is a naked declaration: "Standing with Taiwan means bearing the cost of isolation." The Storm Media cited BBC Chinese's analysis to plainly point out this operational logic¹¹. BBC News Chinese's official channel also provided an in-depth analysis of the cross-strait power struggle behind Lai Ching-te's visit to Eswatini.

China's history of poaching partners is not limited to this tactic. Over the past 30 years, 10 African nations have switched from Taiwan to Beijing. The most recent two were São Tomé and Príncipe (2016) and Burkina Faso (2018)¹². In the same month Burkina Faso broke relations, Tsai Ing-wen visited Eswatini for the first time, with Mswati publicly reiterating the commitment to diplomatic relations in a speech¹³. This was from April 17 to 20, 2018.

In 2023, a subsidiary of China's HydroChina Construction Group won the bid for Eswatini's Pekisila Dam for $146 million. The Storm Media cited BBC Chinese's analysis, considering this an open test of "exchanging infrastructure for diplomatic relations"¹¹. Mswati did not waver.

But what is the real pressure behind the words "did not waver"? On January 15, 2024, Nauru—a small Pacific island nation with a population of only about 10,000—announced the break of diplomatic relations with Taiwan, primarily due to China's promise of long-term financial aid². This was three days after the Taiwanese presidential election, when Lai Ching-te had just been elected but not yet inaugurated. At the moment Nauru broke relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs changed the number of diplomatic partners from 13 to 12.

Eswatini became the last remaining piece of the puzzle in Africa.

Red Heart Guavas Enter SUPERSPAR

At the opening of the press conference on May 3, Lai Ching-te used a fruit as a hook: "Red Heart Guavas witness the friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini."¹⁴

This guava is not just rhetoric.

The TaiwanICDF (Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund) Agricultural Technical Team stationed in Eswatini has been operating since 1969. It was initially an early experiment in Taiwan's agricultural technical diplomacy, now known as the "Taiwan-Africa Vegetables Initiative (TAVI)" and the "Emerging Fruit Tree Production and Marketing Guidance Plan"¹⁵. The specific work involves bringing Taiwanese fruit varieties (Red Heart Guavas, Dragon Fruit, Strawberries, Papayas) and cultivation techniques to Eswatini, enabling local farmers to learn localized production.

In March 2024, Red Heart Guavas of Taiwanese varieties officially entered the supply chains of SUPERSPAR, Eswatini's largest supermarket chain, in its Mbabane and Ezulwini branches¹⁵. It took 55 years for a fruit to go from a technical cooperation agreement (the first aid agreement in 1969¹) to a supermarket shelf.

When Lai Ching-te visited Eswatini, he brought this guava to the press conference podium. He wanted to say that "cooperation looks like this": concrete, edible, and entering commercial supply chains.

The evolution of aid projects is easier to understand from this perspective. Technical cooperation in 1969 → Agricultural technical cooperation in 1984 → Medical cooperation memorandum in 2007 → Maternal and infant health care in 2016 → Economic cooperation agreement (effective December of the same year) in 2018 → Women's Economic Empowerment MOU in 2019 → Women's Entrepreneurship Microcredit Revolving Fund in 2023 (personally signed by Tsai Ing-wen during her 2023 visit to Eswatini) → Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement in 2026¹⁷. Each agreement is a cross-section of the theme of its era: the 1980s were about agriculture, the 2000s entered healthcare, the 2010s focused on women's empowerment and economic/trade systems, and the 2020s pushed towards industrial innovation and supply chains.

This cooperation has evolved slowly alongside the circumstances of both countries, transcending the static level of "diplomatic gifts."

The 27% Prevalence Rate

But beyond agriculture and education, healthcare is the heaviest and most concrete aspect of this relationship.

Eswatini's adult (15-49 years old) HIV prevalence rate is 27.2%, the highest in the world¹⁶. Behind this number is a nation where an entire generation would be erased without antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Understanding Taiwan's medical aid solely through the framework of "medical diplomacy" is too thin. The medical team stationed in Eswatini, led by the Taipei Medical University system, covers physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and administrative staff. Their work scope includes clinical services, personnel training, public health, medical education, and the introduction of smart healthcare¹⁵. Specific actions include: assisting Eswatini in establishing a national physician licensing examination system and a general practitioner training system; completing Eswatini's first neurosurgery; Taipei Medical University physicians serving long-term as the only cardiologists in Eswatini's public hospitals; and providing medical services to over 10,000 person-times. These are real actions with names, surgical records, and hospitalization numbers, transcending the abstract level of "aid."

In April 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the donation of computed tomography (CT) scanners, fundus cameras, and patient monitoring simulators to Mbabane Government Hospital. Starting in 2026, it will assist in building an Eswatini version of HIS (Hospital Information System, benchmarked against Taiwanese standards) and FIRE (Fast Medical Care Interoperability Resource International Case Format)¹⁵.

The most concrete story is from January 2021. When Mswati III contracted COVID-19, the Tsai Ing-wen government sent antiviral drugs to Eswatini through diplomatic channels (foreign media speculated it was remdesivir, but Mswati himself did not name it). He later publicly thanked them: "I had already recovered before I could announce my hospitalization."¹⁷

"Diplomatic drugs" are no longer abstract from that moment. This 58-year relationship includes one concrete life-saving event.

It is precisely because of these accumulated long-term multilateral aids—PEPFAR, Global Fund, Taiwan, etc.—that Eswatini became one of the first African countries to achieve the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets in 2020 (95% of HIV patients diagnosed, 95% of diagnosed patients receiving treatment, 95% of treated patients achieving viral suppression)¹⁸.

Military Honors at Mandvulo Grand Hall

On the morning of May 3, Lai Ching-te held bilateral talks with King Mswati III at the Mandvulo Grand Hall of the Lozitha Royal Palace⁷.

On May 3, 2026, Lai Ching-te and Mswati III held bilateral talks at the Mandvulo Grand Hall of the Lozitha Royal Palace. Photo: Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan). OGDL via Official Press Release.

The ceremony included the national anthems of both countries, inspection of the Eswatini honor guard, firing of salutes, and traditional dance performances. After the meeting, two important documents were signed:

1. Joint Communique: Reaffirming "deep friendship, mutual trust, and shared values."
2. Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement: Signed by Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and Eswatini's Foreign Minister Pholile Shakantu⁷.

On May 3, 2026, Taiwan and Eswatini signed the Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement and a Joint Communique at the Mandvulo Grand Hall. Photo: Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan). OGDL via Official Press Release.

CNA's official channel fully recorded the process of Taiwan and Eswatini signing a Joint Communique to deepen cooperation.

Lai Ching-te's core quotes (from the original English press release of the Office of the President):

"The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign country that belongs to the world."

"No country has the right, nor should it obstruct Taiwan's contributions to the world."

"Taiwan and Eswatini are steadfast allies, who have together weathered many ups and downs."⁷

King Mswati III's response:

"We would like to assure you, as well as the government and people of Taiwan, that the Kingdom of Eswatini stands ready to support all the achievements Taiwan seeks, including its participation in the international community."⁷

The weight of this quote lies in who is speaking it. When an absolute monarch publicly says "sovereign country" to the head of another democratic nation in his own palace, this meaning serves as a direct counter-testimony to China's narrative of "non-existent sovereign Taiwan." The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently called Lai Ching-de a "rat" and described this behavior as "stealthy external窜" and an "international laughing stock" (cited by NBC News)¹⁹. The US State Department's response was simpler: "Taiwan is a trusted and capable partner" and "should not be politicized"²⁰.

In the afternoon of that day, Lai Ching-te visited the Royal Science and Technology Park to inspect two flagship bilateral cooperation projects: the Strategic Oil Reserve and the Taiwan Industrial Innovation Park (TIIP), briefed by the Overseas Investment Development Company and Taiwan Engineering Consultants²¹. Lai Ching-te positioned these two as "the largest and most strategically significant cooperation projects since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries." The "Strategic Oil Reserve" represents energy security and national resilience in response to risk crises, while the 'Taiwan Industrial Innovation Park' represents industrial layout and development hope for the future. The former guards stability, and the latter creates growth"²².

This statement gave a concrete framework to the narrative of Lai Ching-te's visit. CNA's official channel also featured a special report on Taiwan-Eswatini's largest cooperation: Oil Reserve and Industrial Innovation Park have strategic significance.

The 46 Lives in 2021

But this 58-year relationship has a heavy reality that must be faced directly.

On May 17, 2021, Thabani Nkomonye, a law student in Eswatini, was allegedly killed by police, triggering nationwide protests. On June 20, approximately 500 youths took to the streets in Manzini demanding democratic reforms. On June 25, the Acting Prime Minister issued an order banning protests and petitions. From June 28 to July 4, nationwide riots erupted, buildings were burned, helicopters patrolled the skies, and gunshots rang day and night. Human Rights Watch (HRW) confirmed at least 46 deaths, with civilian estimates exceeding one hundred²³.

As of October 2025, HRW's latest report confirmed that no members of the security forces have been held accountable²⁴.

This is the sharpest cost of "absolute monarchy," and also the value contradiction Taiwan must face. Our only diplomatic partner in Africa is Africa's last absolute monarchy, and this regime suppressed its own people in 2021.

Writing down this fact will not harm diplomatic relations, but it will make this article valid. Taiwanese readers have the right to know that our "last friendly nation" is a real country with a specific governance record including violent suppression, an HIV tsunami, and 56% youth unemployment (2023 figures²⁵). The diplomatic term "friendly small nation" cannot contain it.

King Mswati's personal life is another structural contradiction. He and his mother, Queen Mother Ntfombi, are listed among the approximately 12 absolute monarchs currently existing in the world. The constitution grants him veto power over all government departments and immunity from prosecution. Private jets, Rolls-Royce convoys, and the fact that 30% of the population live below the poverty line form a contrast, making him a focus of long-term criticism by international media⁹.

We can hold two things simultaneously: First, Taiwan's aid has indeed saved lives (HIV treatment, agricultural cooperation, medical teams). Second, Eswatini's governance issues are not "internal affairs" that we should ignore.

After Mswati

The greatest variable in the future of Taiwan-Eswatini diplomatic relations is actually not how much money China uses.

It is whether the successor after Mswati can persuade a generation with 56% youth unemployment, who no longer supports absolute monarchy, to continue viewing Taiwan as a friend.

Over the past 30 years, China has poached 10 African diplomatic partners from Taiwan. The end of each diplomatic relationship is the combined force of "monetary temptation" and "local political demands." However, Eswatini differs from other diplomatic partners: It is not at the core battlefield of UN resolutions (unlike Pacific island nations where the game between the US and China is directly related). The political cost of its foreign relations is relatively borne by the King personally, and Mswati's personal will has been strong enough to withstand all pressure so far.

But this strength has a ceiling. Mswati was born in 1968 and is 58 years old in 2026. His succession will happen (not "if" but "when"), and the internal political environment faced by the successor will be completely different from that of 1986 when he was crowned.

After the 46 lives in 2021, the patience of Eswatini's youth for "royal glory" is far less than that of their parents' generation; HIV still occupies the health budget; wages are squeezed by South Africa; and youth unemployment is near 60%. These are ongoing internal pressures, not just predictions of "what will happen in the future."

Lai Ching-te's choice of return route after this visit also reveals a sense of the present. On May 4, he departed from Mbabane. The aircraft deliberately turned off its identity information, flying via the southern Indian Ocean route through Indonesia and the Philippines back to Taiwan, avoiding airspace close to China and sensitive areas in the South China Sea. He arrived at Taoyuan Airport at 10:40 AM on May 5²⁶.

The route was circuitous, indicating how tight the environment is. But it was completed.

A Guava and a Question

Back to that Red Heart Guava.

It went from the technical cooperation agreement in 1969 to the supermarket shelves of SUPERSPAR in 2024. In between, it passed through 55 years, at least seven Taiwanese presidents (Chiang Ching-kuo, Lee Teng-hui, Chen Shui-bian, Ma Ying-jeou, Tsai Ing-wen, Lai Ching-te), and Mswati III growing from 5 months old to 56 years old.

It is concrete, edible, and costs roughly a few dozen New Taiwan Dollars per fruit.

This guava, the military honors at Mandvulo Grand Hall, the 46 lives in 2021, the precise operation of China excluding Eswatini from the zero-tariff policy for 53 countries on May 1, and the A340 aircraft sent by Mswati to pick up Lai from Taipei are different points on the same narrative line.

What it tells us is: Diplomatic relations fall into the concrete cooperation accumulated over 58 years, transcending the level of abstract plaques. But it also tells us that when the day after Mswati arrives, whether Taiwan has accumulated enough relational thickness "not relying on one person" to ensure that the supply chain of this guava does not disappear along with one person's position?

This question has no answer yet. But the existence of the question itself is Taiwan's most honest posture in facing its "last friendly nation" in 2026.

"The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign country that belongs to the world." — Lai Ching-te at Mandvulo Grand Hall, May 3, 2026.

Africa's last diplomatic lifeline is hanging on one person. This is both its most moving aspect and the homework Taiwan's diplomacy must prepare for in the next ten years.

Further Reading:

• Taiwan's Diplomatic Partners and International Diplomacy — A three-layer structure of 12 diplomatic partners vs. 113 overseas bases vs. 177 visa-free destinations; Eswatini is the most critical piece in Africa.
• Lai Ching-te — From a Tainan physician to the President of the Republic of China, the evolution of Lai Ching-te's discourse on foreign relations after taking office.
• Tsai Ing-wen — The two presidential visits to Eswatini, corresponding to two stages of Taiwan-Eswatini relations at the time points of 2018 and 2023.
• Sunflower Student Movement — How the streets of 2014 became the foundation for the system's external discourse in 2024-2025.
• 2026 Zheng-Xi Meeting and the Decade Reunion of KMT and CCP — Concurrent cross-strait dynamics, understanding the broader background of China's pressure on Taiwan.
• Cognitive Warfare — A more systematic framework for China's language operations such as "rat" and "stealthy external窜".

Image Sources

This article uses 3 photos from the official press releases of the Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan), all cached in public/article-images/society/ to avoid hotlinking to the source server. License: Open Government Data License (OGDL).

• taiwan-eswatini-military-honor-2026.jpg (hero) — On May 2, 2026, President Lai Ching-te received an Eswatini military honor at Mbabane Airport. Photo: Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan).
• taiwan-eswatini-mandvulo-summit-2026.jpg — On May 3, 2026, Lai Ching-te and Mswati III held bilateral talks at the Mandvulo Grand Hall of the Lozitha Royal Palace. Photo: Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan).
• taiwan-eswatini-joint-communique-2026.jpg — On May 3, 2026, Taiwan and Eswatini signed the Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement and a Joint Communique at the Mandvulo Grand Hall. Photo: Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan).

References