Johannesburg/Ouagadougou — Taiwan’s last two African allies — Burkina Faso and Swaziland — have no plans to switch allegiances and break ties with Taipei as Beijing tries to woo the self-ruled island’s diplomatic partners. Burkina Faso won’t cut relations with Taiwan despite people and companies with links to China offering funding in return for recognition of the One-China principle, according to Foreign Minister Alpha Barry. Swaziland said its relationship with Taiwan is based on mutual interests, not on money. "We get outrageous proposals telling us, ‘If you sign with Beijing we’ll offer you $50bn or even more’,’’ Barry said this month. "Taiwan is our friend and our partner. We’re happy and we see no reason to reconsider the relationship." Competition between China and Taiwan for diplomatic allies has intensified since Tsai Ing-wen became the island’s president last year. She has refused to explicitly endorse the One-China policy, an acknowledgment that the two are part of the sa...
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