Taiwanese President Lai Ching‑te announced on Tuesday that he was canceling a planned trip to Africa after three countries denied his plane permission to cross their airspace, a move Taipei attributes to pressure from China.
Lai had planned to visit Eswatini—one of only 12 nations that maintain full diplomatic ties with Taiwan—to attend the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession. Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked overflight rights for his aircraft, forcing the cancellation.
Presidential Office Secretary‑General Pan Meng‑an said the denials were the result of “intense pressure exerted by Chinese authorities, including economic coercion.” He added that using coercion to force a third country to reverse 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.”
Seychelles and Mauritius did not respond to the accusations. Madagascar’s officials said they recognize only one China, referring to the mainland.
China claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has increased its presence in Africa through initiatives such as the Belt and Road and other investments. Eswatini remains Taiwan’s sole African diplomatic ally after Burkina Faso switched recognition to Beijing in 2018.
Lai has previously faced travel limitations from some partners. Last year, despite US support for Taiwan, then‑President Donald Trump reportedly would not allow him to transit through New York on a trip to Latin America.
Edited by Roshni Majumdar