Eswatini King Reaffirms Taiwan Ties, Backs UN Participation

King Mswati III of Eswatini opened a state visit to Taiwan on Oct. 9, 2026, his 20th since the 1986 coronation and running through Oct. 17. The trip marks 58 years of ties. Eswatini remains Taiwan's only formal African ally and one of 12 overall. At Liberty Square, Lai Ching-te welcomed Mswati and Queen Make Zuma with a 21-gun salute, national anthems and an honor guard inspection. The leaders witnessed Taiwan Justice Minister Cheng Ming-chien and Eswatini Justice Minister Prince Simelane sign a mutual legal assistance agreement aimed at cross-border telecom fraud, money laundering and organized crime. Mswati backed Taiwan at the UN, saying the United Nations should seek appropriate ways to facilitate Taiwan's substantive participation in UN meetings and activities, and said of bilateral deals, we need to put them into action. Lai urged deeper work in health, education, technology, infrastructure and energy and more investment through the Taiwan Industrial Innovation Park. The king's itinerary includes National Day events, a joint ground-air exercise with Lai, an agricultural research center visit and an investment dinner hosted by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung. CONTESTED: Taiwan accused Beijing of pressuring Seychelles, Madagascar and a third country in April 2026 to deny overflight for Lai's planned trip to mark Mswati's 40th anniversary on the throne. China's Foreign Ministry on April 22 praised African countries for adhering to its Taiwan position and did not directly address the pressure accusation. Lai reached Eswatini on May 2 on an aircraft Eswatini sent and signed a customs mutual-assistance agreement and joint communiqué there. Next steps center on implementing the new legal-assistance pact and the visit's remaining public events through Oct. 17.