San Francisco Frontiers - Taiwan leader postpones Eswatini trip after overflight permits revoked

China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and opposes the self-governed island's participation in international organisations and exchanges with other countries.

Lai was due to visit Eswatini from April 22 to 26 for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III's accession and his 58th birthday.

Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is among Taiwan's 12 remaining allies that still recognise its claim to statehood, after Beijing convinced others to sever diplomatic relations with Taipei.

"According to sources, Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar unexpectedly and without prior notice revoked the charter's overflight permits," Pan Men-an, secretary-general to the president, told a news conference.

"The real reason is that the Chinese authorities exerted intense pressure including economic coercion," he said.

Eswatini, Africa's last absolute monarchy, said it "regrets" Lai was not visiting, but stressed the setback "does not change the status of our longstanding bilateral relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan)".

"We fully understand that international travel arrangements can at times be affected by a range of logistical and diplomatic considerations beyond the control of the parties involved," acting government spokeswoman Thabile Mdluli told AFP.

A Taiwanese security official, who requested anonymity in order to speak to the media, said China had threatened "to revoke substantial debt relief granted to (the three countries), halt financing and impose further economic sanctions".

Pan said Taipei "strongly" condemned Beijing's "crude actions," describing the situation as "virtually unprecedented in the international community".

"Using coercive means to force a third country to change its sovereign decisions not only undermines aviation safety and violates relevant international norms and practices, it also constitutes a blatant interference in another country's internal affairs, disrupts the regional status quo, and harms the feelings of the people of Taiwan," Pan said.

A special envoy will be appointed to attend the celebrations in Eswatini on Lai's behalf, Pan said.

Lai said on Facebook he had accepted the advice of his national security team to postpone the trip, but added: "No threats or repression can change Taiwan's determination to engage with the world."

- Last African ally -

Lai's last official overseas trip was in November 2024, when he visited Taiwan's Pacific allies and transited through the US territory of Guam.

US President Donald Trump's administration reportedly denied permission for Lai to transit in New York last year as part of an official trip to Latin America.

Taiwan's foreign ministry denied he had been blocked, insisting at the time he had no plans to travel overseas "in the near future".

Lai had planned to fly direct to Eswatini so as to "avoid those areas in the Middle East where the risks from ongoing conflict are relatively high," National Security Council chief Joseph Wu told reporters.

The Taiwanese leader had been expected to meet and exchange views with other heads of state attending the event.

King Mswati visited Taiwan to attend Lai's inauguration ceremony in 2024.

The last visit by a Taiwanese president to Eswatini was in 2023, when former president Tsai Ing-wen travelled to the landlocked country of around 1.3 million people.

Taiwan has sent an anti-viral drug that helped the king recover from Covid-19 in 2021 and provided aid to the nation.

Eswatini was left as Taipei's last African ally in 2018 when Burkina Faso switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing.

burs-ho/pnb/msp

C.Diaz--SFF