Rising tensions between China and the United States over Taiwan have not gone unnoticed in Africa, prompting a response that highlights the continent's leaning toward Beijing.
The United States announced trade talks with Taiwan on Thursday following a visit by a U.S. congressional delegation earlier this week on the heels of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit to the autonomous islands. Announced. Washington's recent exchanges with Taipei infuriated Beijing and led to Chinese military exercises in the waters around the island.
Most African countries sided with China.
During Pelosi's visit, officials in several African countries denounced the United States and openly supported China. . EritreaThe government lamented Mr Pelosi's visit as a "reckless" continuation of US policy characterized by "flaws and stupidity".
Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu PF party also attacked the US for "aggressive conduct" after Pelosi's visit, with spokesman Chris Mutswangwa saying: said like China is one China and Taiwan is an integral part of mainland China.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of the Congo expressed firm support for the one-China policy.
China's state media were quick to publicize such support from African governments in articles inChina Her Daily .
Another article in CGTN listed all African officials who sided with Beijing.
The Chinese Route-Taiwan Conflict
The conflict between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan began in the 1940s when Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang government was defeated by Mao Zedong's communists in mainland China and relocated to Taiwan. originated in the civil war in China. The island of Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China (ROC).
Beijing regards democratically ruled Taiwan as a separate province that can be retaken by force if necessary.
In 1979, the United States severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan and switched diplomatic recognition to China. The United Statessells arms to Taiwan, but Washington has formal ties with China, not Taiwan. That is why a visit by a high-ranking US official, Pelosi, sparked a political storm in Beijing.
For most of the 1960s, Taiwan was more influential than China in Africa. That changed in 1971 when the UN General Assembly recognized China's role and denied Taiwan's. African nations voting for China.
Since President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure project, came to Africa with Chinese loans and investments, more countries have increased their ties with Beijing. He has switched, and Burkina Faso is Taiwan's penultimate supporter.
"Taipei's recognition over the past 20 years has been slowly fading away," he told VOA.
In the recent tussle between China and the United States over Taiwan, most African countries firmly supported the Chinese government, making Africa the world's second-largest economy. It hates alienating Taiwan, its biggest trading partner.
Somalia, which has its own problems with the segregated region of Somaliland, was one of the countries that strongly sided with China during Pelosi's visit.
Outliers supporting Taiwan
Her two outliers on the African continent that continue to support Taiwan are also unrecognized Somaliland and Eswatini.
The autonomous region of Somaliland in the Horn of Africa is internationally considered part of Somalia, despite unilaterally declaring independence in 1991.
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Somaliland's choice to side with Taiwan is clear, said Covas Van Staden, senior fellow in China and Africa at the South African Institute of International Affairs.
"This is a direct intervention in US-China geopolitics to advance the separatist cause," he said.
Currently, the only country in Africa recognized as supporting Taiwan is the despotic absolute monarchy of Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, bordering South Africa. is.
Regarding the continued support for Taiwan, Percy Simerane, his director of communications for King Mswati III's office, wrote: For us, anger is never greater than national interest. We refuse to participate in continental capture.
When asked to comment specifically on Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, Eswatini objected, saying he did not want to be mistaken for a "political referee." On Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, I choose to play the card closer to my chest so that we are not mistaken for something we are not," he said.
Mr Vines of his House of Chatham said Eswatini has long benefited financially from its loyalty to Taipei.
"King Mswati III is confident that Taiwan will seldom reward and demand more from Eswatini than Beijing," he said.
Sanele Sibiya, a lecturer in economics at the University of Eswatini, agreed, saying that Taiwan has provided the kingdom with a huge amount of aid, including funding for hospitals and educational scholarships. He said that unlike Chinese loans, he did not demand it. to repay anything.
Taiwan, on the other hand, despite being a democracy, essentially supports an increasingly unpopular regime. Last year, a large pro-democracy movement broke out in Eswatini.
"Taiwan has not said much about the democratization of Eswatini because it cannot afford to get rid of Eswatini right now," Sibiya said.
Regarding China punishing Eswatini for its loyalty, Sibiya said Eswatini has a belief that Taiwan will always "take the slack." In any case, he said his neighbor South Africa was the country's most important trading partner.
However, as many diplomatic relations hinge on the personal relationship between the King and the Taiwanese government, he said, "Eswatini could be replaced in the post-royal moments." Van Staden told his VOA.