Mbabane: Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung concluded his trip to Eswatini, the nation’s only diplomatic ally in Africa, with a pledged donation to support local rhinoceros conservation efforts. Lin returned to Taiwan after completing a five-day visit to the African kingdom, which began on Tuesday, as stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in a statement released Sunday.
According to Focus Taiwan, Lin’s visit was primarily to celebrate King Mswati III’s 57th birthday, during which he served as President Lai Ching-te’s special envoy. On the final day of the visit, Lin pledged a US$55,000 donation to Big Game Parks, an Eswatini-based nonprofit trust that manages four parks in the country. The donation aims to assist in conserving rhino habitats in Eswatini, as confirmed by the ministry.
Lin also had the honor of naming a newborn rhino at one of the parks managed by Big Game Parks, choosing the name “Formosa” to symbolize the friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini. The name Formosa refers to a historical Western name for Taiwan, given by Portuguese travelers who called the island “Ilha Formosa” or “beautiful island” in the 16th century.
The donation pledge was witnessed by Eswatini’s Foreign Minister Pholile Shakantu and Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Jane Mkhonta-Simelane. Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, established formal diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Eswatini on September 6, 1968, following Eswatini’s independence from the United Kingdom.
Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, remains the last absolute monarchy in Africa and the only country on the continent that formally recognizes Taiwan.
