Taiwan has accused China of using economic pressure to block President Lai Ching-te’s planned visit to Eswatini, after three African island states abruptly withdrew overflight permits for his aircraft, forcing the cancellation of what would have been his first overseas trip in nearly a year.
Speaking in Taipei on Tuesday, Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Meng-an said Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked the clearances without prior warning. Pan said the move was “actually due to strong pressure, including economic coercion, from the Chinese authorities,” in what Taipei described as a fresh attempt by Beijing to squeeze Taiwan’s already limited international space.
Lai had been scheduled to visit Eswatini from April 22 to 26 for events marking the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and the monarch’s 58th birthday. The southern African kingdom is Taiwan’s only remaining diplomatic ally on the continent and one of just 12 countries worldwide that still maintain formal ties with Taipei. The trip had been expected to underscore the durability of that relationship at a time when China has intensified efforts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.
China claims democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and says the island has no right to state-to-state relations. Beijing has for years pressured governments around the world to cut or downgrade ties with Taipei, and several of Taiwan’s former diplomatic partners have switched recognition to China in recent years. Taiwan says those efforts have accelerated under Lai, whom Beijing portrays as a separatist because of his insistence that only Taiwan’s people can decide the island’s future.
The governments involved gave little support to Taiwan’s accusation, but their responses reflected adherence to the “one China” policy. Seychelles told Reuters that Lai’s plane had not been granted overflight or landing clearance in line with its long-standing policy of not recognising Taiwan’s sovereignty. A Madagascar foreign ministry official likewise confirmed that the request had been denied because Madagascar recognises only “one China.” Mauritius did not immediately comment.
Lai said China’s actions showed how authoritarian states threaten peace and the international order, but insisted they would not deter Taiwan’s global engagement. On Wednesday, Beijing publicly praised the three countries for blocking the flight, calling their decisions evidence that the “one China” principle remains the norm in international relations. The episode has highlighted both Taiwan’s shrinking diplomatic room and China’s growing leverage across Africa.
