Taiwan president cancels Africa trip after airspace access revoked
Three Indian Ocean nations withdrew overflight permits for Lai Ching-te's aircraft en route to Eswatini, Taiwan's only African ally.
Taiwan president cancels Africa trip after airspace access revoked
Three Indian Ocean nations withdrew overflight permits for Lai Ching-te's aircraft en route to Eswatini, Taiwan's only African ally.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te canceled a planned trip to Eswatini this week after Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked his aircraft's right to fly over airspace they manage123. The decision marks the first time a Taiwanese leader has been forced to cancel an entire foreign trip due to denied flight permits24.
Taiwan's Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Meng-an said the revocations followed "intense pressure exerted by Chinese authorities, including economic coercion"12. A senior Taiwan security official told Reuters that China threatened the three countries with economic sanctions, including revoking debt relief4. Madagascar officials responded that they only recognize "one China," referring to the mainland1. Seychelles and Mauritius did not comment on the allegations1.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office denied applying coercion but said it had "high appreciation" for the three African countries2. Beijing maintains that Taiwan is a breakaway province and adheres to the "one China" principle, under which it asserts sovereignty over the self-governed island2.
The United States State Department called the incident an abuse of the international civil aviation system and said the countries were "acting at the behest of China by interfering in the safety and dignity of routine travel by Taiwan officials"34. The department said the nations' management of international airspace beyond their sovereign territory was "solely to ensure aviation safety, not to serve as a political tool for Beijing"34.
Lai had been scheduled to attend the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III's accession in Eswatini, Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Africa after Burkina Faso switched recognition to Beijing in 201812. Taiwan maintains full diplomatic ties with only 12 countries globally, many of them small nations in Latin America or the Pacific2.