Taiwan has cancelled President Lai Ching-te’s planned visit to Eswatini this week, accusing China of pressuring three African countries to withdraw overflight permissions for his presidential aircraft.
The trip, scheduled for Wednesday, was meant to mark the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession to the throne in Eswatini, one of only 12 countries that maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which is claimed by China.
Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Meng-an said that Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar unexpectedly revoked clearance for the aircraft without prior notice.
He alleged that the move was the result of “intense pressure” from Chinese authorities, describing it as economic coercion aimed at disrupting Taiwan’s international engagement.
China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, a Madagascar foreign ministry official said the overflight request was denied, stressing that the country recognises only “one China” and had acted in line with its sovereignty over airspace. Seychelles declined to comment, while Mauritius did not respond.
Taiwanese officials said presidential flights typically pass through countries without formal ties to Taipei without issue, but noted that China has taken a particularly hard stance on President Lai, whom Beijing labels a “separatist”.
Lai has maintained that Taiwan’s future can only be decided by its people and insists the island has the right to engage globally without interference from China.
National Security Council chief Joseph Wu said the original travel route was also chosen to avoid conflict-affected areas in the Middle East.
He described the alleged interference as “unprecedented”, saying it involved pressuring third countries to alter sovereign decisions, which he said undermines international norms and aviation safety.
King Mswati III previously visited Taiwan for President Lai’s inauguration in 2024, while the last Taiwanese presidential visit to Eswatini took place in 2023 under former president Tsai Ing-wen.
