TAIWAN'S STOCK IS STILL HIGH IN SWAZILAND

C O N F I D E N T I A L MBABANE 000280

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2019
TAGS: PREL EAID PINR SZ TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN'S STOCK IS STILL HIGH IN SWAZILAND

Classified By: Ambassador Earl M. Irving for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) Taiwan's recently arrived ambassador to Swaziland,
Peter M. Y. Tsai, told the Ambassador October 17 that his
country continued to enjoy excellent relations with the
Kingdom of Swaziland. Against the backdrop of the World Food
Day and World Poverty Day commemorations in Lavumisa,
Swaziland, he reminded us that Swaziland is one of four
remaining countries on the African continent that still
maintain relations with Taiwan (the others are The Gambia,
Sao Tome and Principe and Burkina Faso). One reason for the
strong ties is Taiwan's assistance package to Swaziland, the
size of which the Ambassador would not divulge. He noted
that Taiwan's assistance placed heavy emphasis on Swaziland's
agricultural sector. Taiwanese model farms here produce
abundant quantities of rice and other grains, which Tsai said
his embassy donated to Swazi Queen Mother Ntombi Thwala's
charity at little or no cost but with great returns in good
will. As the senior Taiwanese diplomat was explaining this,
a truck rolled up with 500 kilos of maize meal and 500 kilos
of rice, a donation to the Swazi government's event that had
drawn a crowd of thousands, for which the Swazi prime
minister, the keynote speaker, fulsomely thanked him.


2. (C) Ambassador Tsai explained that there were five
Taiwanese doctors and a dentist treating patients in
Mbabane's public hospitals. He said that it was difficult to
recruit such medical personnel, who tended to stay no more
than six months before returning to their practices back
home. Tsai had given instructions to the Taiwanese health
practitioners that they must treat members of the diplomatic
corps who fell ill, out of concern for the country's high
HIV/AIDS prevalence. The Taiwanese ambassador also stated
that his country had donated a terminal to Sikhuphe,
Swaziland's new international airport that is currently under
construction. Separately, United Nations Resident
Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Musinga Timothy
Bandora dismissed the politically astute handouts, and
confided to us that the Taiwanese neither had an aid strategy
for Swaziland nor attended coordination meetings with other
donors.


3. (SBU) The local Taiwanese community, on the other hand
was generally prosperous, according to Ambassador Tsai. They
mainly owned or worked in factories, some of which shipped
textiles and garments to the United States under the Africa
Growth and Opportunity Act provisions. Tsai reported that
the Taiwanese factory owners brought in senior management
from Taiwan, and hired middle management and highly skilled
laborers from the resident immigrant community of the
People's Republic of China (PRC). Although the PRC workers
generally received half the salary of their Taiwanese
supervisors, the senior Taiwanese diplomat claimed there was
no tension between the two Chinese communities. He also
noted that the Swazi workers were paid less than the mainland
Chinese.


4. (C) Biographic Note: Tsai appears to be in his
mid-fifties, speaks heavily accented English, is an avid
golfer, and heads an embassy with ten direct-hire Taiwanese
employees, one of whom is his bodyguard. He said that his
one tour in Africa had been in Malawi, but that, thanks to
his academic training, he had spent the majority of his
career working either in Japan or on Taiwan's relations with
that country. He was surprised when the Ambassador told him
could not accept an invitation to dinner at the Taiwanese
Ambassador's residence. King Mswati III dubbed Tsai's
predecessor, Leonard Chao, "Mashesha" (Speedy) for his
ability to respond positively and quickly to his requests.
Swazi government ministers, delighted at the sight of the
loaded truck, broke into extemporaneous applause, ribbing
Tsai good-naturedly as "Mashesha 2."


5. (U) Minimize Considered.
IRVING