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BACKGROUND
This Embassy was established in line with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s mission to “establish and maintain international relations and cooperation between Swaziland and the international community”. The Embassy is a bilateral station that is accredited only to the Republic of China on Taiwan; its purpose therefore is to safeguard and promote the interests of the Swazi nation in Taiwan and also to keep the Government of Swaziland and the general Swazi public informed of both political and economic developments taking place in the


EMBASSY OBJECTIVES

 

  • Maintain diplomatic relations with the Republic of China on Taiwan
  • Promote trade and investment relations and with the Republic of China on Taiwan
  • Assist Swazi nationals who reside in the Republic of China on Taiwan in cases of emergency and monitor their welfare
  • And also to build and maintain a positive image of the Kingdom of Swaziland in the Republic of China on Taiwan.

HOW EMBASSY BENEFITS SWAZILAND
Diplomacy nowadays has shifted from political to commercial and this means that it has become very important for economies such as that of Swaziland to concentrate more on investment, trade and tourism promotion. Therefore the existence of this Embassy has become even more beneficial in terms of attracting investment into the Kingdom of Swaziland. Up to now this Embassy has been key in the area of attracting investment from Taiwan as witnessed by the number of companies that have been established in Swaziland by Taiwanese investors. 
Swaziland has also benefitted from the presence of this Embassy in the following ways:

  • Agriculture – the Embassy has been involved in the establishment by Taiwan’s International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) of a demonstration farm that assists farmers with a production system for rice and sweet potato. Also in the establishment of maize production groups and training of farmers in dairy and piggery farming
  • Training – the Embassy has been involved in negotiations leading to collaborations between Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Swaziland’s Ministry of Health that has led to the provision of training to Swazi health professionals in various health fields here in Taiwan. The Embassy has also been involved in negotiations for the training of Swazi students at varying levels from short courses to PhD level in various fields of study. Last year there were over thirty five (35) students enrolled in Taiwanese universities. The new academic year, commencing in September, 2011; there are close to twenty (20) expected to start the 2011/2012 academic year. The Embassy has also been involved in the establishment of a handicraft training project by Taiwan’s ICDF. This handicraft training project at Ezulwini has expanded to include computer training (including computer repair/maintenance training).
  • Health care – a medical cooperation agreement was signed in 2007 and the following year, 2008; a medical team of specialists from the Taipei Medical University Hospital (TMUH) that includes doctors, administrators and ICT specialists has been working at the Mbabane Government hospital. This team has been handling complicated cases that would have been otherwise referred to South Africa and thereby saving Government millions of Emalangeni in referral costs. Taiwan has also been sending teams of medical health workers every year to work in mobile clinics in all the rural areas of Swaziland. Some senior hospital staff have been on attachments of one to three months at TMUH (to gain practical hands-on-experience).
  • Technical projects – the Embassy has been involved in work leading to the provision of technical (designs) and financial support for big projects such as Sikhuphe International Airport and the Biotechnology Park at Nokwane. Sikhuphe International Airport is almost ready for official commissioning and the Biotechnology Park’s designs have been finished and approved. The next stage on the Biotech Park is to start work on clearing the site and building infrastructure such as roads, sewer tanks, electricity lines, etc. Millions of Emalangeni have been paid by the Republic of China, Taiwan through the Mbabane Embassy.
  • Other projects – the Embassy is always involved in yearly bilateral talks between Swaziland and R.O.C., Taiwan that have led to various projects that include the rural electrification, and the construction of boreholes in the rural areas of Swaziland, especially in the low-veld where there is scarcity of water. 
    There is also the partnership between Chunghwa Telecoms in Taiwan and SPTC in Swaziland that has led to the introduction of the broadband internet and other collaborations. More projects from these talks are on the way such the cooperation between universities in Taiwan and universities in Swaziland. Both countries continue to raise projects they want to discuss in these talks.
  • Business – the Embassy, working with SIPA, the Federation of Swaziland Employers and Chamber of Commerce, and Tibiyo TakaNgwane in Swaziland and also the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan through organisations such as Africa-Taiwan Economic Forum (ATEF), Taiwan Trade office (TAITRA), Taiwan Africa Business Forum (TABA), Taiwan Africa Investment Development Association (TAIDA); continue to scout for investment for Swaziland in the areas of energy, manufacturing, technology, etc.
    More projects are possible; hopefully the Swaziland Government will embrace such initiatives with both hands and learn to act expeditiously. 

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