African Airspace Ban Forces Taiwan President To Cancel Eswatini Trip

Taiwan president scraps Eswatini visit after three African nations deny overflight access following reported China pressure campaign.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has cancelled a planned visit to the southern African nation of Eswatini after several African countries revoked overflight permissions for his aircraft, in what Taipei described as pressure from Beijing.

According to a Taiwan official, Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar withdrew previously granted permits following “intense pressure” and economic coercion from China. Beijing denied the allegation, instead praising the three countries and stating it had “high appreciation” for their actions.

The development marks the first publicly known instance of a Taiwanese leader cancelling an overseas trip due to revoked airspace access.

Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, remains Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in Africa and one of just 12 countries globally that formally recognise Taipei.

China maintains its “one China” principle, asserting sovereignty over Taiwan, which it regards as a breakaway province. However, many in Taiwan consider the island a sovereign state. Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.

Chinese authorities have previously criticised Lai, labelling him a “troublemaker” and a “destroyer of cross-strait peace”.

In a statement on X, Lai condemned China’s “coercive actions”, warning that it “exposed the risks authoritarian regimes pose to the international order”.

“No amount of threats or coercion will shake Taiwan’s resolve to engage with the world.”

The government of Eswatini expressed regret over the cancelled visit, stating it would not “change the status of our longstanding bilateral relationship”, according to reports.

Lai had been scheduled to attend events marking the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession to the throne.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Beijing “appreciated the position and actions of the relevant countries in upholding the one-China principle”.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated that it was “clear…[that] the so-called ‘President of the Republic of China’ no longer exists in the world”, referring to Lai’s official title.

According to Reuters, Seychelles and Madagascar said their decisions were based on their non-recognition of Taiwan.

In the United States, members of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority said they “stood with Taiwan against this blatant coercion” in a post on X.

US Senator Ted Cruz also criticised Mauritius, saying it appeared “determined to ally with the Chinese Communist Party”.