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 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as