Taiwan President Lai Ching-te arrived in Eswatini on Saturday for a surprise visit to Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Africa. During the trip, President Lai met with King Mswati III and signed trade agreements. He told the king that Taiwan has a right to engage with the world and that no country can stop that.
The visit was delayed after several China-friendly African countries and three Indian Ocean states reportedly withdrew overflight permissions for his aircraft. Taiwan's government blamed this disruption on pressure from Beijing, while China condemned President Lai as a "rat."
Because of its ties with Taiwan, Eswatini remains the only African nation without tariff-free access to China's market.