President Ma Ying-jeou on the morning of July 29 welcomed H. M. King Mswati III and the Queen of the Kingdom of Swaziland to the ROC with full military honors.
The ceremony was held at 10:30 a.m. at Liberty Square in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. After a 21-gun salute and the playing of the national anthems of the two countries, the two leaders reviewed the tri-service honor guard, following which each delivered remarks. Vice President Vincent C. Siew, heads of government agencies, and members of the foreign diplomatic corps were present for the welcoming ceremony.
Upon the completion of the ceremony, the two leaders made their way to the Presidential Office where they held talks. During the meeting, President Ma first expressed a cordial welcome on behalf of the government and people of the ROC to King Mswati III and his delegation on their visit to Taiwan. The president remarked that the ROC and Swaziland established diplomatic relations in 1968, making this the 42nd year of formal ties between the two countries. Back in 1968, late President Chiang Kai-shek sent a telegram to King Sobhuza II congratulating Swaziland on its independence. The two sides at that time established diplomatic relations. Late President Chiang also directed the ROC's delegation at the United Nations (UN) to fully assist Swaziland in becoming a member nation of the UN.
President Ma noted that King Mswati III last visited Taiwan two years ago to attend his inauguration. Since then, the Queen Mother, the deputy prime minister, the justice minister, the foreign affairs minister, and the economic planning and development minister have made visits to Taiwan, demonstrating the stable alliance between the two nations, he said. The president also specially expressed his appreciation to His Majesty for publicly supporting Taiwan's participation in UN-affiliated organizations at the UN General Assembly in September of last year.
The president stated that over the past 42 years, the ROC has shared with Swaziland its developmental achievements in economics, technology, medicine, agricultural technology, and handicrafts. Projects in these areas are currently ongoing, he said, adding that they can be continued and expanded where both sides wish to do so.
President Ma furthermore stated that since he took office, he has aggressively sought to improve relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, ending the competition in which the two sides sought to lure away the diplomatic allies of the other. This initiative has been welcomed by the international community, he said. In the future, the president said, the ROC will continue to embrace "flexible diplomacy," and will use its technology and other resources to engage in aboveboard diplomacy, humanitarian diplomacy, economic & trade diplomacy, and cultural diplomacy. He particularly stated that the ROC will continue to provide assistance to Swaziland under the framework of the cooperative agreements signed between the two countries.
In response to King Mswati III's objective on this visit to encourage more direct investments from Taiwan in Swaziland, the president said he hopes that more Taiwan companies will invest in Swaziland, thereby enabling the power of the private sector to aid in Swaziland's continued development.