Despite Beijing pressuring three countries to block President William Lai’s (賴清德) trip to Eswatini, on Saturday he took a “surprise flight” to Taiwan’s only African ally and released a joint communique with King Mswati III reaffirming diplomatic ties, which have stood for 58 years.
Lai had been scheduled to travel on April 21 to mark the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday, but the visit was postponed after the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly revoked overflight permits following pressure from China.
He later arrived in Eswatini without prior announcement via the king’s aircraft for a three-day visit and returned on Tuesday, completing a more than 25,000km round-trip over 10 countries. In a video statement, Lai said in English that “Taiwan’s 23 million people have the right to engage with the international community,” adding that no country has the right to block Taiwan’s global participation or seek to do so.
The “arrive then announce” approach has precedents and is often used to mitigate diplomatic risks, including former US president Joe Biden’s visit to Ukraine in February 2023, and US President Donald Trump’s secret trips to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2018 and 2019 during his first term.
Since the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has also frequently used special flights to visit allies.
The trip highlights China’s expanding efforts to contain Taiwan, which now include not only discouraging recognition of its sovereignty, but also leveraging other countries’ jurisdiction and administrative authority for political ends.
The three countries’ revocation of Lai’s overflight permits under Chinese influence infringed on the freedom of navigation guaranteed under international law.
As the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation states: “A country overseeing a Flight Information Region assumes responsibility for ensuring the safety and security of air traffic within its sovereign airspace.” However, it does not allow arbitrary control or disruption of aviation order for political suppression.
Lai’s Africa trip is not the only case of Chinese pressure. Beijing also pushed Zambia to exclude Taiwanese representatives from this year’s RightsCon Summit.
The disruption forced UNESCO to scale down its “World Press Freedom Day Conference” in Zambia and relocate its “Press Freedom Award” ceremony to Paris.
Such incidents show how China’s expanding influence in Africa is affecting the wider international community.
African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council Presiding Officer Louis Cheick Sissoko said the situation “illustrated the growing and sometimes worrying complexity of international relations,” adding that “Africa cannot be reduced to a mere sphere of influence. It is, and must remain, a fully sovereign actor.”
By traveling to Eswatini, Lai pushed back against Beijing’s diplomatic encirclement, underscoring Taiwan’s determination to maintain international engagement despite external pressure.
King Mswati III said the visit demonstrated Eswatini’s airspace freedom and respect for international law.
Atlantic Council Global China Hub nonresident fellow Song Wen-ti (宋文笛) said Beijing would likely weaponize airspace to restrict the movements of Taiwan’s leader, but such actions could backfire by increasing international sympathy for Taiwan.
The dispute over Lai’s trip also reinforced ties between Taiwan and Eswatini and led to a joint communique, turning a ceremonial visit into deeper political trust and cooperation.
China has also pressured Paraguay, which has maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan for 69 years, to sever ties.
Paraguayan President Santiago Pena yesterday arrived in Taiwan in his first state visit to deepen bilateral diplomatic and economic ties.
Speaking at a local university, he said: “Paraguay and Taiwan share a friendship built on a solid foundation, democracy, freedom, confidence in institutions, the dignity of hard work.”
“Our bilateral relationship extends far beyond diplomatic formality. It is reflected in concrete actions, tangible achievements, and real opportunities for both nations,” he added.
Pena’s visit and remarks show China’s coercion has failed to undermine Taiwan’s engagement with like-minded partners.
As Lai has vowed that Taiwan will never retreat in the face of suppression, the nation should not abandon its path toward the world, even as Beijing continues is multi-front campaigns to isolate it.
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