Taiwan–Africa relations

This article is about relations between Taiwan (the Republic of China) and Africa. For relations between the People's Republic of China and Africa, see China–African relations.
Taiwan–Africa relations

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Taiwan–Africa relations refers to the diplomatic, economic, and informal relations between Taiwan (formally the Republic of China, ROC) and countries in Africa. Since 1949, competition between Taiwan and People's Republic of China (PRC) for diplomatic recognition has shaped Taiwan's engagement with African states.[1]

During the Cold War, Taiwan maintained formal diplomatic relations with a significant number of African countries. However, following the PRC's assumption of China's seat at the United Nations in 1971 and the global shift toward recognition of Beijing, Taiwan's official presence in Africa declined. As of 2026, Eswatini and the self-declared Republic of Somaliland are the only two African states to have official relations with Taiwan, although Eswatini is the only African UN member that officially recognizes Taiwan rather than the China.[2][3]

In addition to official relations, Taiwan maintains representative offices and conducts trade, development assistance, and cultural exchanges with several African states.[4]

Historical background

Early Cold War competition (1949–1971)

After the Chinese Civil War and the establishment of the PRC in 1949, both Taipei and Beijing claimed to be the sole legitimate government of China. Diplomatic recognition became a central element of this rivalry, particularly in newly independent states in Africa during the 1950s and 1960s. Taiwan first established relations in Africa with South Africa in the early 1950s.[5] During the wave of African decolonization, both the ROC and the PRC sought recognition from newly independent states.[6] Between 1960 and 1963, Taiwan secured recognition from 13 of 23 African countries, while the PRC was recognized by five. By 1969, Taiwan had diplomatic relations with 21 African states.

Taiwan's diplomatic strategy emphasized agricultural and technical assistance. In 1960, it signed a technical cooperation agreement with Liberia and began dispatching agricultural missions to several African countries. Taiwanese teams provided training in irrigation, crop cultivation, and rural development.[7] In some cases, such as rice cultivation projects in Libya, these programs were presented as examples of Taiwan's technical capacity.[8]

African diplomatic support was important to Taiwan's effort to retain China's seat at the United Nations. The number of African states voting in favor of the ROC increased during the 1960s. However, in October 1971, United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 recognized the PRC as "the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations" and expelled the ROC.[9]

Diplomatic decline and realignment (1971–1980s)

After 1971, the number of states recognizing Taiwan declined significantly. As more countries established diplomatic relations with the PRC, Taiwan's international space narrowed.[10] Between 1971 and 1979, many African states shifted recognition to Beijing.[11] By 1979, only a small number of African countries maintained ties with Taipei.[12]

In the 1980s, Taiwan reduced the scale of its technical assistance programs in Africa and redirected resources toward regions where it retained more diplomatic allies, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Pragmatic diplomacy and "dollar diplomacy"

Late Cold War and post-Cold War era

In the late 1980s, President Lee Teng-hui introduced a policy described as "pragmatic diplomacy", aimed at consolidating existing alliances and expanding Taiwan's international participation through economic and cultural ties. Taiwan sought to attract or retain diplomatic partners through development assistance, concessional loans, and trade cooperation.[13]

During this period, several African countries established or restored relations with Taiwan, including Lesotho, Guinea-Bissau, and the Central African Republic. However, diplomatic recognition in some cases proved unstable. A number of countries, including Senegal, Liberia, and the Central African Republic, switched recognition multiple times between Taipei and Beijing.[14]

The exchange of financial assistance for diplomatic recognition became widely described as "dollar diplomacy", a practice attributed to both Taiwan and China. During periods of heightened cross-strait tension, such as the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis (1995–1996), diplomatic competition intensified.

Shifts in the 2000s

In the 2000s, President Chen Shui-bian's administration sought to strengthen ties with remaining diplomatic allies, including those in Africa. Despite these efforts, several African states established relations with China in the 2000s and 2010s, including Chad (2006), Malawi (2008), The Gambia (2013), São Tomé and Príncipe (2016), and Burkina Faso (2018). In 2008, following the election of President Ma Ying-jeou of the Kuomintang, Taipei and Beijing entered a period often described as a "diplomatic truce", during which both sides informally refrained from competing for each other's diplomatic allies.[15] After 2016, when the Democratic Progressive Party returned to power under President Tsai Ing-wen, several states established or re-established relations with Beijing.[16] As of 2026, Eswatini remains the only African country with formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.[17]

Economic and development relations

Although formal diplomatic ties have diminished, Taiwan maintains economic and representative offices in several African countries. In addition to its embassy in Eswatini, Taiwan operates representative offices in countries such as South Africa and Somaliland, as well as a trade office in Nigeria.[18]

Taiwan's development assistance is largely administered through the TaiwanICDF, which was established in 1996. Programs in Africa have included agricultural development, vocational training, public health cooperation, and scholarship schemes. Taiwan also provides scholarships to African students to study at Taiwanese universities.[19]

The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) maintains trade offices in selected African countries, including Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Algeria. Trade between Taiwan and African countries remains limited compared to Africa's trade with China.[20]

Multilateral and informal engagement

Taiwan is excluded from most intergovernmental organizations that require state recognition as a prerequisite for membership. In response, it has pursued what some analysts describe as "non-recognition diplomacy", focusing on informal networks, technical cooperation, and civil society engagement rather than formal embassies.[21]

Taiwan has participated in medical missions, agricultural extension programs, and educational exchanges in several African countries, including those that do not formally recognize it. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan donated medical supplies to a number of African states and shared public health expertise.[22]

At the same time, China has expanded its institutional engagement with Africa through platforms such as the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), established in 2000, and through large-scale trade and infrastructure initiatives. The asymmetry in economic scale between China and Taiwan has been a major factor in the decline of Taiwan's diplomatic presence on the continent.[23]

Taiwan's foreign relations with African countries

Relations between Taiwan and Africa

See also

References

  1. ^ "China woos Taiwan's African friends". Afrol. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2009.
  2. ^ "Taiwan-China Diplomatic Competition Comes to Somaliland". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  3. ^ "eSwatini stands by Taiwan despite Chinese overtures". BBC News. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Taiwan-China Diplomatic Competition Comes to Somaliland". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  5. ^ Maromo, Jonisayi (May 16, 2024). "China insists it will not compromise on Taiwan, and thanks South Africa for upholding one-China policy". IOL News.
  6. ^ Anthony, Ross; Grimm, Sven; Kim, Yejoo (November 2013). "South Africa's relations with China and Taiwan: Economic realism and the 'One China' doctrine".
  7. ^ Sim, Yawsoon (July 1971). "Taiwan and Africa". Africa Today. 18 (3). Nashville, Tennessee: Indiana University Press: 20–24. JSTOR 4185172. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  8. ^ Kironska, Kristina (December 21, 2022). "How Taiwan lost Africa". Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  9. ^ "Restoration of the lawful rights of People's Republic of China in the United Nations: draft resolution /: Australia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Fiji, Gambia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Japan, Lesotho, Liberia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Philippines. Swaziland, Thailand, United States of America and Uruguay". United Nations. 1971-09-29. Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  10. ^ MacLeod, Andrew. "When people say the West should support Taiwan, what exactly do they mean?". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  11. ^ Ndzendze, Bhaso (May 2021). "Domestic Audiences and Economic Opportunity Cost: African Democratisation as a Determinant in the Recognition of China over Taiwan, 2001–2018". Journal of Asian and African Studies. 56 (3): 434–454. doi:10.1177/0021909620926531. ISSN 0021-9096. S2CID 225703426.
  12. ^ Lin, Chin-Ming (April 26, 2025). "Taiwan's African Footprint: Contributions and Contestations in the Shadow of China" (PDF). Tamkang University. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  13. ^ Joseph, Anu Maria (19 September 2023). "Taiwan in Africa: The Last Ally and the Lost Allies". globalpolitics.in. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  14. ^ 陳柏亨 (2020-10-09). "【圖輯】照片看歷史／1989年我和賴比瑞亞復交 外交關係維持14年". United Daily News (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2001-03-29.
  15. ^ Kan, Francis Yi-hua (October 23, 2008). "Diplomatic truce and the reality of cross-strait ties". Taiwan Today. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  16. ^ Liao, Kitsch; Foster, Nik; Villa, Santiago (December 15, 2025). "Beijing pressures Taiwan's remaining diplomatic partners. Here's what the US should do in response". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  17. ^ Fabricius, Peter (31 May 2018). "Taiwan has lost all its friends in Africa – except eSwatini". Institute for Security Studies. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  18. ^ Lim, Emerson (12 November 2020). "Taiwanese eye Africa as investment destination amid marginalization". bilaterals.org. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  19. ^ Kironska, Kristina (September 7, 2023). "Taiwan and Africa: a comprehensive overview of diplomatic recognition and derecognition of the ROC". Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  20. ^ "Taiwan boosts business ties with emerging African economies". Taiwan Today. July 22, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  21. ^ Gargiulo, Guido (2 August 2024). "Taiwan, the Road to Africa Blocked by China. A Difficult but Not Impossible Bridge for Taiwan". Geopolitica. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  22. ^ "Taiwan donates COVID-19 PPE to Eswatini, St. Lucia, Somaliland". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan). 2021-02-22. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  23. ^ "If not trade or aid, then what?". africa-confidential.com. 16 April 2009. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
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