Sao Tome and Principe President Manuel Pinto da Costa could pay a visit to Taiwan early next year. That’s the word from foreign ministry official David Wang on Tuesday.
In early June, Pinto da Costa visited China, leading to speculation that Taiwan's diplomatic ties with the African ally might be in jeopardy. A senior Sao Tomean official stressed during a visit to Taiwan in the same month that the trip to China was solely for economic purposes.
Wang's announcement was made during a four-day visit to Taiwan by the president of Sao Tome and Principe's National Assembly, Alcino Pinto.
The West African island country is one of Taiwan’s 22 diplomatic allies. It established diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1997.