Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuted claims that aid funds for Eswatini's embassies were diverted. The ministry stated that a proposed project for embassy furniture was changed to airport VIP lounge renovation and shuttle bus procurement at Eswatini's request, with no funds disbursed yet due to procedural issues.
Lai Ching-te a tenu ses propos en rentrant de son voyage en Eswatini, seul allié africain de l’île.
Le président taïwanais a effectué une visite surprise en Eswatini, réaffirmant les liens diplomatiques avec le dernier allié de l'île sur le continent africain face à la pression de la Chine.
Le président Lai Ching-te devait initialement se rendre en Eswatini du 22 au 26 avril. Ce déplacement avait été reporté en raison, selon Taïwan, de pressions chinoises.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office compared President Lai Ching-te to a 'rat crossing the street' after he secretly boarded an Eswatini government aircraft to complete an unannounced state visit to the small African kingdom. The visit, originally scheduled for late April, was disrupted when Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked overflight permits – which Taipei blamed on Chinese pressure. Eswatini remains one of only 12 countries with formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Beijing accused Lai of abandoning island residents after a major earthquake to pursue 'diplomatic achievements' that are 'nothing but trickery and a laughing stock.'
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has arrived in Eswatini, days after his government said a planned trip was cancelled due to China pressuring Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar to revoke flight permits for his aircraft. The visit to Taiwan's only African diplomatic ally was not announced in advance and followed 'days of careful arrangements by the diplomatic and national security teams'. China, which views Taiwan as part of its territory, described the visit as a 'stowaway-style escape farce'. The trip was originally scheduled for 22 to 26 April to mark the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III's accession.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te arrived in Eswatini on Saturday after his planned flight route was disrupted when Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar withdrew permission to fly over their territories due to Chinese pressure. Eswatini is Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Africa. China called the visit a "laughable stunt" and warned countries against supporting Taiwan independence. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry defended the trip as conducted in accordance with international law and diplomatic practices.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te arrived in eSwatini on Saturday, confirming the visit on his Facebook page. He said his foreign affairs and security teams spent days securing a revised route for the delegation. The visit aims to deepen cooperation in economy, agriculture, culture and education, and strengthen Taiwan's international partnerships. Lai thanked eSwatini for its support despite diplomatic and economic pressure.
China announced it will offer zero-tariff treatment to all African countries from Friday, expanding its duty-free policy from 33 to 53 nations. The policy will run until 30 April 2028. Eswatini remains excluded due to its diplomatic ties with Taiwan. While Beijing positions itself as Africa's economic partner, analysts note tariffs are rarely the main barrier for African exporters, and the policy will likely benefit more industrialized nations like South Africa and Morocco. Africa's trade deficit with China rose 65% to $102bn last year, with the continent primarily exporting raw materials.
Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has cancelled a planned visit to eSwatini, the island's last remaining African diplomatic ally. The visit was intended to celebrate King Mswati III's 40th anniversary of accession to the throne and his 58th birthday. eSwatini is one of only 12 nations that still recognize Taiwan, a group that includes small Caribbean and Pacific island states, many of which maintain ties partly due to pressure from Washington.
The US State Department expressed concern that Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked flight permits for Taiwan leader William Lai Ching-te's aircraft at China's behest, forcing cancellation of his trip to eSwatini. This marks the first time a Taiwanese leader had to cancel an entire foreign trip due to airspace denial, which the US called an abuse of the international civil aviation system and part of China's intimidation campaign against Taiwan.
The United States is concerned that several African countries revoked overflight clearances for Taiwan’s leader at China’s behest, the US State Department said on Wednesday, calling the incident an abuse of the international civil aviation system. Taiwan this week said the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar unilaterally revoked flight permits for leader William Lai Ching-te’s aircraft to cross airspace they manage on a planned trip to eSwatini, one of Taiwan’s allies. It is the first instance...
Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te's planned visit to Africa has been postponed after Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar cancelled previously approved overflight permissions without notice. Taipei accused Beijing of pressuring the three African nations to withdraw clearance, citing safety concerns forced the trip delay. China's State Council Taiwan Affairs Office thanked the African countries for adhering to the one-China principle while denying economic coercion was used.
Der taiwanische Präsident William Lai musste eine Reise nach Eswatini streichen, nachdem mehrere afrikanische Länder ihm den Überflug verweigert hatten – laut Taipeh »auf Druck Chinas«.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has cancelled a scheduled trip to Eswatini after Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked his aircraft's overflight permits following intense pressure and economic coercion from China, according to Taiwan officials. Eswatini is Taiwan's only remaining diplomatic ally in Africa. This marks the first publicly known instance where a Taiwanese leader has had to cancel a foreign trip due to revoked flight permits.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te cancelled a scheduled trip to Eswatini after Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked his aircraft's overflight permits under pressure from China. This marks the first publicly known instance where a Taiwanese leader had to cancel a foreign trip due to denied flight permissions. China denied coercion but praised the African nations for upholding the "one China" principle. Eswatini remains Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Africa, one of just 12 nations recognizing Taiwan.
Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te was forced to postpone a visit to the island’s last African partner after three other nations abruptly refused to allow his aircraft to fly over their territory, in a move Taipei blamed on pressure from Beijing. This is the first time any Taiwanese leader has had to delay an overseas visit at the last minute, Lai’s office said. He had been due to depart on Wednesday for a five-day trip to eSwatini, the sole African country that maintains official diplomatic...
