Taiwan’s president was forced to cancel his trip to Africa after China allegedly pressured countries to close their airspace to his aircraft.
Lai Ching-te, a staunch defender of Taiwan’s sovereignty, was due to travel to the small country of Eswatini on Wednesday, the island’s sole remaining diplomatic ally in Africa.
However, Taipei said on Tuesday that the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar unilaterally revoked flight permits for the presidential aircraft to cross their airspace on his journey.
“The actual reason was intense pressure exerted by Chinese authorities, including economic coercion,” said Pan Meng-an, the secretary general of Mr Lai’s office.
China allegedly threatened economic sanctions, including revoking debt relief, on the three countries. Beijing has not yet responded to the allegation.
Beijing claims Taiwan, a self-governing island, as its own territory and has piled up military pressure against Taipei, threatening to take it by force if necessary. Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, has long portrayed Taiwan’s “reunification” with China as inevitable.
Mr Lai said China’s “suppressive actions” demonstrated the threat that authoritarian states pose to the international order, peace and stability.
“No threat or suppression can change Taiwan’s determination to engage with the world, nor can it negate Taiwan’s ability to contribute to the international community,” he added.
Beijing loathes Mr Lai, the firebrand leader of the Democratic Progressive Party, labelling him a dangerous “separatist” and “troublemaker”. He has focused on spending more on Taiwan’s military and increasing ties with the US, Japan and Europe.
A Madagascan official confirmed to Reuters that the overflight request had been denied: “Malagasy diplomacy recognises only one China.”
Only 12 countries retain formal ties with Taipei, down from 22 in 2016, including Belize, Guatemala, Haiti, the Vatican City and several Caribbean islands.
Taiwanese leaders usually have no issues overflying countries that the island lacks formal relations with, but China is increasingly making this an issue for Mr Lai.
Last July, Mr Lai was forced to delay a diplomatic trip to his remaining allies in South America over reports the Trump administration had opposed a stopover in New York.
Officially, his government said it was because of domestic issues, including natural disasters and tariff negotiations with the US.
However, various reports stated that the US denied permission for the stop after Beijing had raised objections with Washington.
Traditionally, Washington has facilitated trips by Taiwanese leaders, but Beijing regularly denounces any show of support for Taipei from Washington.
It came at a tense moment in China-US relations as Donald Trump was seeking to negotiate a trade deal with the world’s second-largest economy. Critics of the move warned it was setting a bad precedent.
Although they do not have formal diplomatic ties, the US maintains a strong unofficial relationship and robust security ties with Taiwan.
Washington is bound by law to provide the democratically governed island with the means to defend itself, though its arms sales are a persistent source of friction with China.
The four-day visit to Eswatini would have been Mr Lai’s first trip outside Taiwan since November 2024, when he visited the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau, and transited through Hawaii and the US territory of Guam.
The last time a Taiwanese president visited Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland and home to around 1.3 million people, was in 2023, when Tsai Ing-wen made the journey.
Mr Lai had intended to watch the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession. The monarch has previously advocated for United Nations recognition of Taiwan. (Telegraph)
