The only country on the African continent that does not have diplomatic relations with China: the landlocked nation of Eswatini

Due to three African countries revoking the flight permit for the Taiwan region leader's private aircraft, the leader was forced to postpone the planned visit to Eswatini.

Eswatini is one of the 12 remaining diplomatic allies of Taiwan and the only formal diplomatic partner Taiwan has in Africa. Diplomatic relations were established between the two sides in 1968.

The Kingdom of Eswatini, commonly known as Eswatini, is an inland country located in southern Africa. It is surrounded by South Africa on its north, west, and south, and shares a border with Mozambique to the northeast. The country’s former English official name was "Swaziland," whose spelling closely resembles that of Switzerland (Switzerland), both being landlocked nations; hence, it earned the nickname “Africa’s Little Switzerland.” However, due to the similar spelling, the English name was officially changed to its current form on April 19, 2018. As a result, Taiwan region’s translation was updated to “Eswatini,” while mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, and Malaysia continue to use the old name “Eswatini”.

Eswatini has a population of over one million. Its economy heavily relies on South Africa, with limited room for maneuvering, a single export structure, uneven development, and a significant gap between rich and poor.

HIV/AIDS Issue

According to statistics, approximately 40% of the population is infected with HIV. The average life expectancy for patients is just 32 years; among every four people in Eswatini, only one survives to age 40. Among individuals aged 19 to 49, more than a quarter test positive for HIV—making Eswatini the country with the most severe HIV/AIDS situation globally. Among all AIDS patients in the country, 83% also suffer from tuberculosis, which carries a mortality rate of 18%.

Life Expectancy

According to data and statistical maps from Our World in Data, Eswatini's average life expectancy in 2021 was 57.1 years, ranking seventh from the bottom worldwide.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863096084631552/

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