President Lai to Visit Eswatini; Over 40 Political Figures from 11 African Nations Express Welcome
President Lai Ching-te is set to visit the Kingdom of Eswatini on the 22nd. Prior to his departure, over 40 political figures from 11 African nations expressed warm welcome, commending Taiwan's 'Rongbang Program' for building industrial resilience. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed sincere gratitude for the firm support and deep friendship from African friends.
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- 📰 Published: April 20, 2026 at 13:02
- 🔍 Collected: April 20, 2026 at 13:21 (19 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 13:26 (4 min after Collected)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today that President Lai Ching-te will lead a delegation to visit the friendly nation of the Kingdom of Eswatini on the 22nd. Before his departure, in addition to the Kingdom of Eswatini, over 40 political figures from 11 African countries across various regions and parties expressed their warm welcome to President Lai's first visit to Africa through letters, social media posts, and messages. They unanimously affirmed Taiwan's 'Rongbang Program' in jointly building industrial resilience with Africa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses sincere gratitude for the firm support and deep friendship from African friends.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the welcoming figures span various regions south of the Sahara Desert, including important countries such as Botswana, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Notably, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somaliland posted on social media via its official account, welcoming President Lai's visit to Africa on behalf of the Somaliland government.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that such cross-regional and cross-party welcome and support demonstrate that Taiwan's reciprocal model of 'teaching to fish' and Taiwan's cooperation with Eswatini in key areas such as economy, information and communication technology, energy, agriculture, and public health and medical care align with the current transformation needs of African countries, earning the affirmation and welcome of leaders from many African nations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that President Lai's visit to Africa this time will not only showcase Taiwan's emphasis on its friendly nations and African affairs but also deepen the friendship with leaders and political figures from various countries, injecting new momentum into Taiwan-Africa friendship. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to uphold the spirit of pragmatic diplomacy and proactively expand partnerships with African countries in diverse fields.
Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, after a radio interview this morning, responded to media inquiries about potential disruptive actions by the PRC during President Lai's trip.
Joseph Wu replied that presidential overseas visits have precedents, and visiting diplomatic allies by invitation is natural. He added that PRC protests are not surprising and do not affect diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Eswatini. Regarding the Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs' social media post welcoming President Lai, Joseph Wu explained that Taiwan has six representative offices in five African countries, including Somaliland, and Taiwan's relationship with Somaliland is akin to a quasi-diplomatic one. (Editor: Chang Jo-yao) 2026-04-20
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the welcoming figures span various regions south of the Sahara Desert, including important countries such as Botswana, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Somaliland, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Notably, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somaliland posted on social media via its official account, welcoming President Lai's visit to Africa on behalf of the Somaliland government.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that such cross-regional and cross-party welcome and support demonstrate that Taiwan's reciprocal model of 'teaching to fish' and Taiwan's cooperation with Eswatini in key areas such as economy, information and communication technology, energy, agriculture, and public health and medical care align with the current transformation needs of African countries, earning the affirmation and welcome of leaders from many African nations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that President Lai's visit to Africa this time will not only showcase Taiwan's emphasis on its friendly nations and African affairs but also deepen the friendship with leaders and political figures from various countries, injecting new momentum into Taiwan-Africa friendship. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to uphold the spirit of pragmatic diplomacy and proactively expand partnerships with African countries in diverse fields.
Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, after a radio interview this morning, responded to media inquiries about potential disruptive actions by the PRC during President Lai's trip.
Joseph Wu replied that presidential overseas visits have precedents, and visiting diplomatic allies by invitation is natural. He added that PRC protests are not surprising and do not affect diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Eswatini. Regarding the Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs' social media post welcoming President Lai, Joseph Wu explained that Taiwan has six representative offices in five African countries, including Somaliland, and Taiwan's relationship with Somaliland is akin to a quasi-diplomatic one. (Editor: Chang Jo-yao) 2026-04-20