Tweet of the Day: 2020 is Likely Going to be the Year When the Tiny Kingdom of eSwatini Becomes a Big International Relations Issue

eSwatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is not a country that often registers as an important player in major global disputes but from the looks of it that may change in 2020. The Kingdom is now the last country in Africa that formally recognizes Taiwan and that has the ire of both the Chinese government in Beijing and its embassy in South Africa that now appears to be increasing its efforts to isolate the small, landlocked country.

Shen Shiwei is a Beijing-based editor at CGTN who mysteriously published this Tweet without an accompanying link or other references. Similarly, influential U.S. think tank analyst Joshua Mesearvy also recently commented on the situation in eSwatini and accused the Chinese government of “bullying” the Kingdom.

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by Eric Olander

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