Taiwan President Cancels Africa Trip After Three Countries Revoke Overflight Permission

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te cancelled his planned April 22-26 trip to eSwatini, Taiwan's only African diplomatic ally among 12 remaining partners worldwide, after Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar abruptly revoked overflight permissions. Taiwan accused China of economic coercion and intense pressure on the African nations, while Beijing denied coercion but expressed appreciation for the countries upholding the one-China principle. This marks the first publicly known instance of a Taiwanese leader cancelling a trip due to revoked flight permits. Taiwan will send a special envoy to attend celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III's accession, while eSwatini assured the incident would not affect bilateral relations. The episode highlights China's ongoing efforts to diplomatically isolate Taiwan, which Beijing claims as a breakaway province.

Cancellation of Taiwan President's Trip to Eswatini

• ▪Taiwan President Lai Ching-te cancelled a trip to Eswatini after Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked flight permits
• ▪Eswatini is one of 12 nations which are diplomatic allies of Taiwan and the only one in Africa
• ▪Lai Ching-te was scheduled to spend 22 to 26 April in Eswatini to attend celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III's accession and the king's birthday
• ▪Taiwan will appoint a special envoy to attend the Eswatini celebrations on Lai Ching-te's behalf
• ▪The government of Eswatini said Lai Ching-te's inability to visit would not change the status of the longstanding bilateral relationship between Eswatini and Taiwan

China's Pressure on African and Indian Ocean Nations

• ▪Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked Lai Ching-te's flight permits after intense pressure and economic coercion from China, according to a Taiwan official
• ▪A spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said Beijing appreciated the position and actions of the relevant countries in upholding the one-China principle

Taiwan-China Diplomatic Tensions and International Reactions

• ▪Lai Ching-te criticised China's coercive actions, saying they exposed the risks authoritarian regimes pose to the international order
• ▪The Chinese government has previously described Lai Ching-te as a troublemaker and a destroyer of cross-strait peace
• ▪China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the so-called President of the Republic of China no longer exists in the world
• ▪US Senator Ted Cruz criticised Mauritius, saying it seemed determined to ally with the Chinese Communist Party
• ▪Lai Ching-te stated that no amount of threats or coercion will shake Taiwan's resolve to engage with the world
• ▪The House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority said they stood with Taiwan against blatant coercion in a post on X

Perspective of Taiwan government

• ▪Lai Ching-te stated that no amount of threats or coercion will shake Taiwan's resolve to engage with the world

Perspective of China government

• ▪The Chinese government has previously described Lai Ching-te as a troublemaker and a destroyer of cross-strait peace
• ▪A spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said Beijing appreciated the position and actions of the relevant countries in upholding the one-China principle

Perspective of United States officials

• ▪The House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority said they stood with Taiwan against blatant coercion in a post on X

Perspective of eSwatini government

• ▪The government of Eswatini said Lai Ching-te's inability to visit would not change the status of the longstanding bilateral relationship between Eswatini and Taiwan