“Penny-wise pound-foolish,” that in my humble opinion appears to be the fundamental base – misguided and unfortunate as it is – of the Eswatini foreign policy toward China. How can, in this day and era, the small kingdom of Eswatini be the only country in the whole of the African continent that refuses to recognize the UN resolution 2758 on the One-China Principle?
On October 25, 1971, the UN unanimously recognized the People’s Republic of China “as the only legitimate representative of China to the UN”. Since then, the One-China Principle has been the position held steadfastly by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC). Which part does the Eswatini foreign affairs wing still don’t understand? The rest of the international community acknowledges this factor: “There is only one sovereign state under the name China, with the PRC serving as the sole legitimate government of that China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China”.
At the recent UN General Assembly meeting in New York, Eswatini’s Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini took many in the SADC region, Africa and the rest of the international community by a complete surprise when he challenged the UN to recognize Taiwan as some kind of an independent state. To put it frankly, the Prime Minister’s diplomatic missteps and grossly unfortunate remarks – misguided in every fundamental sense – caused more reputational harm to his Kingdom than it achieved any semblance of his intent to trigger debate about Taiwan’s separatist programme by some in Taipei who allow the self-governing territory to be a pawn amidst competing geopolitical interests.
Now, a mere perusal of the facts about Africa’s only remaining monarchy points to the dire need to adopt a sound foreign policy in line with the continent’s biggest economy, South Africa. Eswatini’s 1,2 million population, which makes the kingdom one of the continent’s smallest member-states, are intrinsically intertwined with the rest of the global regions in a world that has become inter-connected and inter-dependent. The landlocked kingdom is officially classified by international financial standards as a lower-middle income country. It stands to reason, therefore, that in order to push back against the kingdom’s marauding poverty, hardships and skyrocketing unemployment, the kingdom’s foreign policy need to be aligned with that of its bigger, relatively flourishing economy of SA. Contrast the Eswatini’s Prime Minister’s showing at the UN with that of SA President Cyril Ramaphosa. The difference is akin to day and night.
But let me go a bit more backward to this year’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that was held in Beijing and attended by at least fifty African heads of state, or their delegations. During FOCAC, President Ramaphosa addressed all African leaders, reaffirming SA’s stance on the One-China Policy. President Ramaphosa said: “South Africa supports efforts made by the Chinese Government to achieve national reunification.”
In short, President Ramaphosa’s sentiments were representative and a true reflection of the continent’s collective approach to international diplomacy. SA’s foreign policy, like the overwhelming majority of the international community, consciously aligns with China’s territorial integrity and more notably, sovereignty.
The economic logic behind this UN-sanctioned support through resolution 2758 is crystal clear: China has been SA’s largest trading partner over the past 13 consecutive years. Nurturing and maintaining strong diplomatic ties with Beijing therefore ensures ongoing investments, trade benefits and development cooperation. In a very special way, this reinforces SA’s commitment to the AU’s Agenda 2063 that is aimed at achieving greater economic trajectory. In my view, such is a plethora of opportunities that Eswatini’s dubious foreign policy misses.
China has gone on record expressing desire for cooperation with all countries that recognize the UN resolution 2758. There can be no wonder as to why, in 2024, the world continues “to go the East”. China is the world’s second largest economy and continues to inspire friendly bilateral allies to take their populations out of poverty. The UN has hailed China for achieving one of the key Millennium Goals ahead of the scheduled time by taking more than 850 million of their people out of poverty.
The vast majority of the international community, particularly the Global South to which Eswatini belongs, continues to study the Chinese models of modern development. Additionally, China’s much-heralded Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that was conceived by President Xi Jinping continues to benefit SA and nations across the continent and the world through China’s foreign policy that is based on the notion of a “shared future”, or “win-win cooperation”.
It is a great pity; therefore, that Eswatini appears beholden to such a self-harming foreign policy stance that undermines the One-China Principle. The repercussions of this ill-advised position will inevitably result in a massive loss of opportunities for ordinary citizens of the Kingdom of Eswatini. Ultimately, for as long as Eswatini remains belligerent and swim against the tide whilst the rest of the world regards China as a blessing, the kingdom’s “penny-wise, pound-foolish” approach to diplomatic relations with Beijing is tantamount to “looking at a gift horse in the mouth”.
