Taiwan's Lai Cancels Eswatini Trip Over China Flight Pressure
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- Lai Ching-te cancelled his Wednesday trip to Eswatini — his first overseas travel since November 2024 — after the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked overflight clearance for his plane, marking the first time a Taiwan president has had to postpone an overseas trip due to Chinese pressure.
- Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Meng-an said the three African countries 'unilaterally' revoked flight permits without prior warning, attributing the move to 'intense pressure exerted by Chinese authorities, including economic coercion.'
- A senior Taiwan security official told Reuters that China had threatened the three countries with economic sanctions, including revoking debt relief, to block Lai's transit.
- Seychelles' foreign ministry and a Madagascar foreign ministry official both confirmed the overflight denials, citing their non-recognition of Taiwan; Mauritius did not respond to requests for comment.
- The trip was meant to mark King Mswati III's 40th anniversary of accession in Eswatini, one of only 12 countries that still maintain formal diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan; the last Taiwanese president to visit was Tsai Ing-wen in 2023.
- Lai said on Facebook the episode demonstrates 'the threat that authoritarian states pose to the international order, peace, and stability,' adding no suppression can change 'Taiwan's determination to engage with the world.'
- Xi Jinping was meeting Mozambique's President Daniel Chapo in Beijing the same day, pledging support for the continent's development in a state media readout that did not mention Lai's cancelled visit.
Why it matters: The cancellation sets a precedent that Beijing can weaponize African airspace — by leveraging debt relief and economic ties — to block even a Taiwanese president's transit, not just formal visits, and it comes as Xi was actively courting African leaders in Beijing the same day.
