(6 Sep 2023)
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4452136
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Manzini - 5 September 2023
HEADLINE: Taiwan President visits one of last remaining allies
1. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen waving and leaving plane
2. Tsai and Eswatini Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini observing guard of honour
3. Taiwanese nationals living in Eswatini with flags in hand and banner at airport
ANNOTATION: Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has kicked off a 4-day trip to Eswatini.
ANNOTATION: The tiny African kingdom is one of Taiwan’s 13 remaining allies amid China’s campaign to alienate the island nation.
4. Wide of Taiwanese government official with Eswatini counterpart shaking hands after signing memorandum of understanding
ANNOTATION: Tsai, who is serving her last year as president, oversaw the signing of a set of agreements between the two countries.
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Tsai Ing-wen, President of Taiwan: ++ends on shot 7++
++QUALITY AS INCOMING++
"We have a long history of working together to help each other. And the three agreements, our documents that we signed today, it's a very significant event in our relationship.”
7. Taiwanese officials, cutaway
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Mswati III, King of Eswatini:
"You coming here to Eswatini is a true testimony of the friendship that happily exists between our two countries. We have great relationship and it continues to grow."
9. Various of officials
ANNOTATION: Since 2016, China has pressured countries that have diplomatic relationships with Taiwan to switch their formal recognition from Taiwan to Beijing.
10. Officials standing with signed agreement
ANNOTATION: Taiwan is a self-ruled island claimed by China. The two have been at odds since Communism took over China in 1949.
STORYLINE:
Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday began a four-day trip to the African nation of Eswatini, one of her island's 13 remaining allies.
Tsai, who is serving her last year as president, is visiting the country of 1.1 million people in southern Africa and oversaw the signing of agreements that will set "the milestones for our future relationship," she said.
Since Tsai took office in 2016, China has started putting pressure on countries that have a diplomatic relationship with Taiwan to switch their formal recognition from Taiwan to China.
Beijing has successfully poached 9 countries, leaving Taiwan with just 13 countries that acknowledge its statehood.
Taiwan’s most recent diplomatic loss was Honduras, which switched recognition to Beijing in March.
Taiwan is a self-ruled island claimed by China.
The two sides have been at odds since 1949 when the Communist Party won in the civil war against the Nationalists.
Eswatini is an absolute monarchy, and most of the country's population live below the poverty line.
Tsai is expected to stay in the tiny landlocked kingdom until Thursday to mark the 55th anniversary of its independence from British rule, as well as 55 years of bilateral relations.
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