Taiwan is a sovereign nation and the 23 million Taiwanese have the right to engage globally, President William Lai (賴清德) said in a pre-recorded video address broadcast at a gala dinner in Eswatini’s executive capital, Mbabane, yesterday after his planned in-person visit was canceled due to reported pressure from China.
In the video message, Lai congratulated King Mswati III on the 40th anniversary of his reign and a historic “triple 58” milestone — the king’s 58th birthday, the 58th anniversary of Eswatini’s independence, and 58 years of diplomatic ties between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Eswatini.
He also thanked Eswatini for its support of Taiwan, saying he had hoped to attend celebrations for its king in person, but his planned visit was disrupted by reported Chinese interference.
Photo: Screen grab from the Presidential Office’s Flickr page
Lai’s planned trip to the African ally was suspended due to what Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) described as Beijing’s politicization of flight information regions.
Three island countries that Lai’s airplane would fly over — Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar — withdrew overflight permissions, the Presidential Office said on the eve of Lai’s planned departure.
Taiwan is a sovereign nation, and it belongs to the world, Lai said in his address.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“Our 23 million people have the right to engage with the international community. The greater the external pressure we face, the more courage and resolve we have,” he said in English.
Lai praised Eswatini’s achievements in infrastructure, social welfare, healthcare and regional stability, and said that electricity access in the country has surpassed 85 percent, among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.
The country’s economy has expanded more than 61-fold over the past few decades, with strengthened sovereignty and improving prospects, he said.
Lai praised bilateral cooperation, citing ongoing projects including a strategic oil storage facility expected to be completed in 2028, and a planned Taiwan industrial innovation park aimed at attracting investment and creating jobs in the African country.
Lin, who arrived in Eswatini early on Saturday as Lai’s special envoy, wrote on Facebook yesterday that “no matter how China attempts to interfere politically and obstruct Taiwan’s normal engagement with the international community, Taiwan will not bow or stop.”
Using the proverb that “if you are virtuous, you will never be lonely and always have friends,” Lin said his successful participation in Eswatini’s celebrations “is the most powerful response to China’s malicious attempts to hinder Taiwan.”
“The more pressure Taiwan faces, the more determined it becomes,” he added.
Additional reporting by Huang Chin-hsuan
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