Date： 2023-09-08
Kaohsiung City signed and completed a Sister City Agreement with the City of Mbabane, the capital of the Kingdom of Eswatini, which became the 38th sister, friendly and partner city of Kaohsiung! Mayor Chen Chi-Mai of Kaohsiung City is visiting the Kingdom of Eswatini with President Tsai Ing-Wen from September 5th to September 8th. Upon arriving at Eswatini, President Tsai and Mayor Chen met with King Mswati III of Eswatini. Under the blessing of President Tsai and King Mswati III, Mayor Chen signed the Sister City Agreement with the City of Mbabane. Both cities hope to deepen bilingual education cooperation, youth, and agriculture exchanges. Mayor Chen mentioned that city diplomacy is integral to international relations. Kaohsiung City hopes to deepen exchanges with the City of Mbabane and contribute to the Taiwan-Eswatini relations.
The Kingdom of Eswatini is a critical ally in Africa and has been a staunch supporter of Taiwan’s international participation. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the Taiwan-Eswatini relations. Mayor Chen Chi-Mai of Kaohsiung City arrived with the Taiwanese delegation to personally sign the Sister City Agreement to deepen cooperation between the two countries and promote exchanges between the two cities. According to Mayor Chen, Kaohsiung hopes to work with Mbabane to promote bilingual education and youth exchange. After the twinning of Kaohsiung and Mbabane, Kaohsiung plans to receive qualified youth from Eswatini to teach English in Kaohsiung as foreign instructors of English. Kaohsiung will work with Taiwan’s central government to enhance its bilingual education while creating opportunities for Taiwanese students to learn more about the Kingdom of Eswatini and the City of Mbabane.
Kaohsiung has sought to transform itself into a smart city and introduced smart agriculture in recent years. Kaohsiung has previously worked with Eswatini in areas such as public health. According to Ms. Chang Yen-Ching, Director-General of the Department of Administrative and International Affairs, after Mbabane City became the 38th sister, friendly and partner city of Kaohsiung City, Kaohsiung hopes to deepen exchanges with Mbabane in many different areas. Kaohsiung also plans to invite Mbabane officials to visit Kaohsiung in the future to foster a closer relationship between the two cities and enhance the exposure of Kaohsiung on the international stage.
During his visit to Eswatini, Mayor Chen’s schedule on September 6th includes attending the 55/55 Double Celebrations with President Tsai, visiting the Mbabane Government Hospital, and attending the banquet hosted by King Mswati III. Schedule on September 7th includes attending a meeting with the press, visiting the Queen Mother of Eswatini, attending a presentation on the projects launched by the TaiwanICDF concerning women, meeting with the Taiwanese technical and medical mission in Eswatini, and visiting the Hlane Royal National Park. Mayor Chen will return to Taiwan on September 8th.