Lai’s Africa trip canceled

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has postponed his trip to Eswatini after three African states revoked permission for his plane to cross their airspace. (apnews.com) Lai had been due to visit Eswatini from April 22 to April 26, and his office said Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar withdrew the permits without prior warning. Presidential secretary-general Pan Meng-an said Taipei believed the reversals came after pressure from China, including economic coercion. (news10.com) China’s Foreign Ministry praised the three countries on April 22 and said all African countries except Eswatini have diplomatic ties with Beijing. It said their actions reflected adherence to the “one-China principle” and were consistent with international law. (mfa.gov.cn) The canceled visit was aimed at one of Taiwan’s last formal diplomatic relationships. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry lists 12 diplomatic allies, and Eswatini is the only one in Africa. (en.mofa.gov.tw) That makes flight routes part of the diplomacy. Even when a country still recognizes Beijing rather than Taipei, Taiwan’s president needs overflight clearances from other governments to reach the few states that still recognize Taiwan. (reuters.com) Beijing has spent years shrinking Taiwan’s formal diplomatic space by persuading countries to switch recognition, while also objecting to Taiwanese leaders’ transit stops and official meetings abroad. China says Taiwan is part of its territory and opposes state-to-state ties with Taipei. (abcnews.com) Eswatini said it regretted that Lai could not make the trip, but said the postponement did not change the two sides’ “longstanding bilateral relations.” The visit had been timed to mark the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday. (abcnews.com)