Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has canceled a planned visit to Eswatini, the nation's only remaining diplomatic ally in Africa. The trip, which was scheduled for April 22 to 26, was intended to commemorate the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession.
The cancellation occurred after Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar withdrew permission for the president's aircraft to fly over their territories. The presidential office stated that these flight permits were revoked without prior warning.
The Taiwanese government attributed the revocations to intense pressure and economic coercion from Chinese authorities. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its breakaway province and prohibits countries with which it has diplomatic relations from maintaining formal ties with Taipei.
This incident is part of a broader campaign by Beijing to poach Taiwan's diplomatic allies. Taipei currently maintains diplomatic ties with only 12 countries, most of which are smaller nations in the Pacific, the Caribbean, and Latin America.