Taipei – Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has cancelled his planned visit to Eswatini this week after China allegedly pressured three African countries to revoke permission for his presidential aircraft to fly over their territories.
Lai was due to arrive in the Kingdom on Wednesday to attend celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of His Majesty King Mswati III’s accession to the throne. Eswatini is one of only 12 countries in the world that still maintains formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which China claims as its own province.
Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Meng-an told a hastily called news conference in Taipei that the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar unilaterally revoked flight permits for the presidential aircraft without prior warning. 
“The actual reason was intense pressure exerted by Chinese authorities, including economic coercion,” Pan said.
The Seychelles foreign affairs ministry confirmed to Reuters that the Taiwanese president’s plane had not been granted clearance for overflight or landing, saying the decision was in line with the government’s longstanding policy of not recognising Taiwan’s sovereignty. “The decision was taken independently and in accordance with established procedures,” said Aline Morel, senior protocol officer at the ministry.
A Madagascar foreign ministry official also confirmed having denied the overflight request. “Malagasy diplomacy recognises only one China. The decision was made in full respect of Madagascar’s sovereignty over its airspace,” the official said. Mauritius did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lai took to his Facebook page to address the development, saying China’s “suppressive actions” demonstrate 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 wrote.
A senior Taiwan security official told Reuters that China had applied pressure on the three countries by threatening economic sanctions, including revoking debt relief.
The cancellation marks the first time a Taiwan president has had to call off an overseas trip due to Chinese pressure. Taiwanese presidents have historically had no problems overflying countries with which the island does not hold formal relations, but China harbours a particular dislike of Lai, whom it labels a “separatist.” Lai has consistently rejected Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
This would have been Lai’s first trip outside Taiwan since November 2024, when he visited the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau, transiting through Hawaii and the United States territory of Guam.
The last time a Taiwanese president visited Eswatini was in 2023, when former president Tsai Ing-wen made the journey to the Kingdom, which is home to around 1.3 million people.
On the same day the cancellation was announced, Chinese President Xi Jinping was in Beijing meeting Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo, pledging support for the African continent and its development needs.
