Taiwan President Lai Ching-te announced on Saturday that he had arrived in Eswatini in southern Africa, following a prior trip that was disrupted by the withdrawal of overflight permissions. In a Facebook post, Lai said he had not publicly announced the renewed attempt to travel but confirmed his arrival and thanked Eswatini for a warm reception.
In his post, Lai wrote: "Although we are a few days late, the people of Eswatini have still given us the warmest and most enthusiastic welcome." The comment came after an April incident in which Taiwan said three island states revoked flight permits for the president's aircraft, preventing the earlier journey to one of Taiwan's diplomatic partners.
Taiwan’s government has said that the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar each unilaterally cancelled permission for the presidential flight to cross the airspace they manage on the originally planned trip to Eswatini. The administration subsequently accused China of pressuring those states to block the overflight permission that would have allowed the president's aircraft to proceed.
Speaking about Eswatini, Lai added: "Eswatini has stood firm against various diplomatic and economic pressures, speaking out for Taiwan’s international place through concrete actions." Eswatini is one of the 12 countries that maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, according to the statements accompanying his trip.
Summary of events:
- President Lai arrived in Eswatini after a delayed trip that had previously been cancelled when overflight permissions were revoked.
- Taiwan alleges that the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar each withdrew permission for the presidential aircraft to cross their airspace during the earlier planned journey.
- Lai publicly attributed the earlier cancellation to pressure from China and praised Eswatini for maintaining ties with Taiwan.
Context and constraints: The details released by Taiwan indicate unilateral decisions by the three island nations to revoke permits for the presidential aircraft, and Lai's public comments emphasize Eswatini's supportive response. Beyond these statements, the available information does not provide further detail on communications between the governments involved or on any subsequent diplomatic exchanges.
This account is limited to the statements and facts publicly released regarding the cancelled and later completed trip, the countries said to have revoked flight permissions, and the president's social media post describing Eswatini's reception.