Its largesse may still help prop up the economies of some of the continent's poorest countries, but Taiwan is being slowly squeezed out of Africa as China's presence grows ever stronger.
Malawi last week became the fourth African country to switch diplomatic allegiance to Beijing since the Democratic Progressive Party came to power in 2000, leaving only Burkina Faso, Gambia, Swaziland and Sao Tome and Principe with links to Taipei.
"Malawi was afraid it would be left behind," said Edge Kanyongolo, a political analyst at the University of Malawi. "It was a bandwagon mentality."
Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika's government has remained tight-lipped on what kind of sweeteners were offered, with some reports saying Beijing would fund a long-talked of waterway linking the landlocked country with the Indian Ocean.
"Malawians should look at the larger picture rather than talking about money because Malawi is not for sale," Malawian Foreign Minister Joyce Banda said.
Banda said the Cabinet had discussed the switch for the past three years and the final decision was made "after considering the socio-economic benefits to Malawi. The country stands to gain more from its relationship with China."
There is little disputing that Malawi, 60 percent of whose 12 million citizens live on less than US$1 a day, has gained much during the 42 years of ties with Taiwan.
Taiwanese cash, for example, paid for the only hospital in the north of the country, serving an estimated 1 million people, as well as underwriting many of the country's major highways and landmark buildings.
In Sao Tome and Principe, with its population of only 140,000, Taiwan's money has helped pay for a US$15 million power plant as well as the construction of a high school in the second city of Trindade.
As Sao Tome President Fradique de Menezes, who recently turned down an invitation to visit China, said: "We have relations with Taiwan which so far we have no reason to call into question."
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh meanwhile flies around in a plane paid for by Taipei, which also picked up the US$3.2 million tab to build a highway between the cities of Essau and Kerewan, known as the Taiwan Road.
As for Swaziland, Foreign Minister Mathendele Dlamini said that: "Taiwan has invested immensely in the development of the country, such that most of our rural people have electricity and water because of the Taiwanese."
"Taiwan has become more of a brother than a diplomatic friend, so it would not make sense for Swaziland to dump Taiwan," he said.
In Burkina Faso, a foreign ministry official described the ties with Taiwan as "exemplary," little wonder perhaps given Taiwan's help in financing a sports stadium and two international conference centers in the capital Ouagadougou.
However, the official also questioned whether the flow of cash from Taiwan could forever be reason enough not to embrace the regime in Beijing.
"At the moment, there are no signs of a break in ties but I have to ask myself how much longer this can go on for," the official said on condition of anonymity.
In return for tranches of aid, Taiwan expects its allies to push its case to join the UN and other international organizations.
Taiwan hosted a summit with the heads of its African allies last September which was perhaps most notable for being only a fraction of the size of a get-together hosted by China in November 2006.
The guests at that summit in Beijing included leaders of Liberia, Senegal and Chad, all of whom had been persuaded into changing alliances since the election of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in 2000.
The pomp and ceremony of the Beijing summit amply illustrated the importance that China now attaches to Africa, seen as a vital source of raw materials to fuel its economic boom.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS