Politics

Ma’s African tour touches down in Swaziland

ROC President Ma Ying-jeou and King Mswati III stretch before a sit-up competition April 15 in front of the royal palace in Swaziland. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)

• Publication Date：04/16/2012
• Source： Taiwan Today
• By  Rachel Chan

ROC President Ma Ying-jeou arrived in Swaziland April 15 to a 21-gun salute and military honor guard, kicking off a three-day state visit to the southern African country.

Ma, who is in Swaziland on the last leg of a three-nation ROC African ally tour, was greeted by King Mswati III and a group of high-ranking government officials at Matsapha Airport. He was given the royal treatment, including traditional performances by a troupe of Swazi dancers.

The president smiled broadly and waved enthusiastically to hundreds of cheering well-wishers jostling to catch a glimpse of the ROC leader. He had a brief meeting with the king in the airport’s VIP room before departing for his hotel.

Later, at a luncheon hosted by 500 ROC expatriates, Ma lauded the closeness of ROC-Swaziland ties, stating that the lushness of the landlocked country and its stunning vistas reminded him of Taiwan.

In his address, the president highlighted the importance of ROC foreign aid in assisting diplomatic allies develop into stronger nations.

Taiwan was a beneficiary of international assistance from the 1950s to 1960s, receiving more than US$1.5 billion, or over US$100 billion in today’s value, Ma said. “We should never forget the extent of this support and seek every opportunity to give back to the international community now that the ROC is on par with the advanced countries economically.”

“We should take every opportunity to … contribute to international assistance programs in accordance with norms set by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development,” he added.

Prior to arriving in Swaziland, Ma’s African tour saw him visit Burkina Faso and The Gambia. He pledged 1.6 million euros (US$2.1 million) to Mali refugee assistance efforts in the former, and US$3 million to emergency food programs in the latter.

The president also signed joint communiques with the two West African nations, pledging to strengthen ties and boost cooperation in agriculture, education, infrastructure and medicine.

Peter M.Y. Tsai, ROC ambassador to Swaziland, announced that the ROC has agreed to provide the Swazi government with 300 laptops, peripherals and software valued at US$300,000 as part of ongoing support measures.

Ma is scheduled to wrap up his 12-day African tour April 18. (JSM)

Write to Rachel Chan at rachelchan@mail.gio.gov.tw