The Taiwanese Foreign Minister James C.F Huang has said that this year will be a tough one for Taiwan in the diplomatic arena as China will do whatever it can to lure away Taiwan’s allies with the aim of isolating the island on the international stage.

Taiwan is due to elect new lawmakers and a new president with the inauguration of the new president to be held on May 20, Huang said upon his return from a trip to Africa.

In addition, Huang said, Beijing is due to host the Olympic Games in August and September, adding that China will take advantage of these occasions to snatch Taiwan’s allies.

Huang said his agency will not retreat and neither will it be cowed by China in the diplomatic battlefield.

Huang made the comments on his return to Taiwan yesterday afternoon from the African country of Swaziland, one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies.

During his visit, Huang met with Swaziland’s Prime Minister Themba Dlamini and Foreign Minister Mathendele Dlamini and signed an agreement to enhance the bilateral cooperation between the two sides.

Huang had originally planned to visit another ally Malawi to cement ties with the African nation, amid reports in the Malawian media that the country was about to sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of China.