Times Of Swaziland: TAIWAN VS CHINA DEBATE

TAIWAN VS CHINA DEBATE
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The Editor on 04/09/2018 03:52:00


Sir,
May I take this opportunity to comment on the ongoing debate about our Kingdom
of Eswatini remaining the only African country to recognise Taiwan. I am not a
politician but my father is the late Dr Sishayi Nxumalo and I have a lot of
interest in development.
I do not mean to be disrespectful to our leaders by seemingly belittling their
hard work and tireless efforts which I may or may not be aware off.
Next month is the biggest China/Africa Summit.
This debate on Mainland China and Taiwan stand must be openly debated in public
through lectures and public forums for the betterment of all. I am not
necessarily saying remaining with Taiwan is wrong but the open debate on the
subject is very important. Taiwan is a democratic country and this is how they
would do it.
Yabin Wu (2017) says the value of contracts newly undertaken by Chinese
companies in Africa reached US$75 billion {E1065 billion} in 2014, with a
turnover of US$53 billion { E753 billion}, which is 40 times more than the
figure in 2000. Among them, the coastal railway project contract in Nigeria,
acquired by China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd, had a total value of
US$11.97 billion, the highest value of a single-contract project in the history
of China’s foreign engineering activities
Stage one of the Addis Ababa–Adama Expressway, with a total length of 78
kilometres, was completed in May 2014. Designed and constructed by China
Communications Construction, this expressway is the first in Ethiopia and the
first with such scale and quality in East Africa. Bidding for the construction
of a new bridge over the Cuanza River in Angola was jointly won by an Angolan
company, China Road and a Portuguese company, Bridge Corporation, in November
2014.
The project has a total contract value of about US$110 million {E1562 billion},
making it the first major public works contract won by a Chinese-funded company
in collaboration with foreign companies since the influx of Chinese-funded
companies into Angola in 2003.
At the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in December 2015, China announced its
offer of US$60 billion {E854 billion} and support for the ‘Ten Major
Collaborative Plans’, which involve areas such as industrialisation,
agricultural modernisation, infrastructure, finance, green development, trade
and investment, poverty reduction and public welfare, public health, and peace
and security.
Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy that is driven largely by industrial
manufacturing and, especially, exports of electronics, machinery, and
petrochemicals. This heavy dependence on exports exposes the economy to
fluctuations in global demand.  It is truly an international player with GDP
US$1.175 trillion {E16 685 trillion} (2017 est) US$1.152 trillion (2016 est)
US$1.136 trillion (2015 est.) and GDP (official exchange rate) US$571.5 billion
(2016 est).
Taiwan has been a good friend for Eswatini for many years and has been a true
development partner through health, agriculture, textiles and random donations
of millions Emalangeni. Their involvement in the Innovation and Bio-Technology
Park is just one such example. However, the time has come to ask the real hard
questions with regard to our relationship.
We stand to lose billions in Mainland China Africa initiatives. We need to know
as a people, if Taiwan can give Eswatini say US$10 billion which would be to
fund energy generation, which is a major development initiative and revenue
generator. This would frog leap our industrialisation and ensure a continued
supply of high quality coal for years to come to Taiwan as an example.
Taiwan has some of the largest eco–friendly thermal power plants in the world
and is importing coal. Why do they not put up a 5000MW eco–friendly thermal
power plant at Maloma (since another has been approved for Mpaka), which will
employ 30 000 emaSwati. This would involve a new coal mine which would supply
the thermal power plant and export to Taiwan through Richards Bay.
The SADC energy pool requires all the energy they can get if they are to truly
industrialise. Eswatini is sitting on Black Gold-Coal reserves for the next 500
years.
Had I a chance, I would humbly request those responsible to register The Royal
Eswatini Mining Corporation and The Royal Eswatini Power and Energy Company to
be in partnership with Taiwan. Then hand-pick emaSwati with mining and energy
expertise around the world and put in place special training programmes in
energy and mining.
Taiwan would then be requested for expertise and funding for these two
companies. Trained young emaSwati would come back and run these companies. We
cannot wait for foreign direct investment given our political situation as a
kingdom in a sea of hostile republics. These two companies would take us to our
second industrial revolution after sugar milling. Two thermal power plants would
ensure abundance of energy which has been the engine and the industrial
revelation around the world.
Sabelo Gabriel Nxumalo
taiwanchina9@gmail.com