Taiwan is a “trusted and capable” partner of the US and Taipei’s global relationships, including with Eswatini, provide significant benefits, the US Department of State said of President William Lai’s (賴清德) trip to the southern African kingdom.
Lai arrived in the former Swaziland on Saturday on a surprise visit after a planned trip last month was canceled when Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar denied overflight permission for his aircraft due to Chinese pressure.
“Taiwan is a trusted and capable partner of the United States and many others, and its relationships around the world provide significant benefits to the citizens of those countries, including Eswatini,” a state department spokesperson said.
Photo: Reuters
Every democratically elected Taiwan president has traveled overseas to visit Taiwan’s diplomatic partners, and Lai’s predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), went to Eswatini in 2023 and 2018, the spokesperson said.
“This travel is routine and should not be politicized,” the spokesperson added.
Eswatini is one of the 12 countries with formal diplomatic ties to Taiwan, and the only one in Africa.
Photo: screen grab from Sissoko’s Facebook page
China has condemned the president’s trip, which he made on an Eswatini government aircraft, saying he was “like a rat scurrying across the street.”
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday thanked African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council Presiding Officer Louis Cheick Sissoko for expressing concern over Lai’s previously canceled flight.
Sissoko on Sunday expressed indignation over external interference in the sovereign airspace of the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar, the ministry said.
Sissoko wrote on Facebook and X that he has observed, with certain indignation, some situations on the international stage that raise profound questions.
These include the decisions by the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar about airspace access, and various forms of political, security and economic interference observed elsewhere, he wrote.
The situations “illustrate the growing and sometimes worrying complexity of international relations and remind us how crucial the question of respecting sovereign choices remains,” he wrote.
Sissoko asked countries to reflect “to what extent can states fully exercise their decisions, free from any influence or pressure, whatever its nature.”
“Africa cannot be reduced to a mere sphere of influence. It is, and must remain, a fully sovereign actor, capable of freely defining its partnerships and strategic directions in the interests of its people,” he wrote.
It is imperative to promote cooperation based on “respect for national choices,” “non-interference,” and “a balanced and responsible partnership,” he added.
“The credibility of international relations rests on trust, and trust cannot exist without mutual respect,” he wrote.
MOFA “expresses its strong alignment with Presiding Officer Sissoko’s firm stance on defending the sovereignty of African nations and rejecting improper interference by external forces,” it said.
Sissoko said that national sovereignty is non-negotiable and called for respect for every nation’s autonomy in choosing its partners, the ministry said.
Sissoko’s statement not only serves as a powerful support for Lai, but also accurately identifies the core problem of foreign interference and bullying, MOFA said.
It fully demonstrates the firm conviction of African opinion leaders to resist foreign intervention and defend international fairness and justice, it added.
Taiwan will never back down in the face of certain countries extending their political influence into the realms of global aviation and trade to undermine international norms, it said.
“We will continue to deepen cooperation with friendly African nations and partners to jointly uphold the principles of equal relationship, firmly resist all forms of diplomatic coercion, and work together to safeguard an international order built on respect and trust,” it said.
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