Washington and Tokyo voiced concern over the decision of three African countries to revoke overflight clearance for President William Lai’s (賴清德) trip to Eswatini this week.
Lai was scheduled to fly directly to Taiwan’s only African ally from Wednesday to Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly revoked the charter’s overflight rights, the Presidential Office said on Tuesday evening.
The US Department of State on Wednesday called the incident an abuse of the international civil aviation system, with a department spokesperson saying: “These countries are acting at the behest of China by interfering in the safety and dignity of routine travel by Taiwan officials.”
Photo: Bloomberg
“These countries manage international airspace within their delegated Flight Information Regions, which extend well beyond the sovereign airspace above their territories,” the spokesperson said. “This management responsibility exists solely to ensure aviation safety, not to serve as a political tool for Beijing.”
The blockage was another example of China “waging its intimidation campaign against Taiwan and Taiwan’s supporters around the world, abusing the international civil aviation system, and threatening international peace and prosperity,” they said.
In Tokyo, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara yesterday told reporters it is in the mutual interest of the international community to ensure the safety and security of international flights.
Photo: Bloomberg
Many Japanese lawmakers also took to social media to condemn Chinese coercion.
“Such coercive measures to force third countries to alter their sovereign decisions must not be allowed,” Japanese House of Representatives member Shoujiro Hiranuma wrote on X.
Japanese House of Councilors member Mizuho Umemura said Lai’s stance that Taiwan and China are not the subject to one another upholds the “status quo,” and that China should recognize its methods are undermining its own international reputation.
China’s use of its “debt-trap policy” to intervene in other nations’ sovereignty is coming to the fore, Umemura added.
House of Councilors member Hei Seki said it was an unfair intervention and oppression of Taiwan, adding that Japan, which shares the same values as Taiwan, must not allow such actions.
House of Councilors member Hirofumi Takinami said Japan, as a democratic nation, can scarcely imagine the pressure imposed by China’s authoritarianism.
He also shared Lai’s post and responded: “This once again highlights the impact and danger authoritarian countries pose to the world order.”
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