Taiwan President Lai Ching‑te said Saturday he had reached Eswatini, Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in Africa, after a trip delayed when several countries withdrew permission for his plane to overfly their territory.
Lai posted on X that he arrived to “affirm our longstanding friendship” and wrote that Taiwan, a self‑ruled democracy claimed by Beijing, “will never be deterred by external pressures.” The visit, originally planned to begin April 22, was postponed after Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar rescinded flight permits — actions Taipei said followed “strong pressure from the Chinese authorities, including economic coercion.” Taiwanese officials said careful diplomatic and security arrangements ultimately made the trip possible.
In a Facebook post, Lai said the visit aims to deepen cooperation with Eswatini in economic, agricultural, cultural and educational fields. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said the trip complied with international law, norms and diplomatic practice, and noted that Lai’s arrival was announced only after he had landed — a precaution it said has international precedent.
Beijing responded sharply, dismissing the visit as a “laughable stunt” and saying Lai had been “smuggled” out of Taiwan. China’s Foreign Ministry characterized the trip as undignified, reiterated that Taiwan is part of China, and urged Eswatini and other countries not to support what it called separatist moves toward Taiwanese independence.
China has not ruled out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control and has worked diplomatically to limit other countries’ ties with Taipei. Eswatini, a landlocked kingdom of about 1.2 million people, has previously faced economic consequences related to its relationship with Taiwan, including exclusion from China’s tariff‑free access program. Taiwan’s most recent presidential visit to Eswatini was by former president Tsai Ing‑wen in 2023.
Separately, Taiwan expressed concern after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told U.S. officials in a phone call that Taiwan represents the “biggest risk” in relations between Beijing and Washington.