Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) was set to fly to Eswatini — Taiwan's last remaining ally in Africa — on the 22nd. The trip was called off hours before departure after three nations abruptly revoked overflight permits for the presidential aircraft. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs fought until the very last moment, but safety had to come first.
The Presidential Office had announced on the 13th that Lai would lead a delegation to Eswatini from the 22nd to the 26th. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs François Chihchung Wu (吳志中) said the visit would follow principles of safety, dignity, comfort, and convenience, with a direct flight avoiding the Middle East. On Tuesday evening, Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Meng-an (潘孟安) convened an emergency press conference announcing the postponement. A special envoy will be dispatched in Lai's place to attend Eswatini's national celebrations.
Three Permits Pulled, No Warning
In a Facebook post Tuesday evening, Lin stated that Seychelles, Madagascar, and Mauritius had each issued overflight permits — then withdrew them without prior notice. Lin said the Ministry had informed Eswatini of the decision, citing the safety of the president and all delegation members as the overriding concern.
Lin strongly condemned China's use of political pressure to interfere with international civil aviation, including what he called the politicization and weaponization of flight information regions (FIR) — a challenge, he said, to aviation safety, freedom of overflight, and the rules-based international order.
Lin emphasized that Taiwan's 23 million people have the right to engage with the world, and that no authoritarian coercion could sever that connection. He added: "This kind of tactic will not be the last. The more we face suppression, the calmer and more resolute we will be — working to uphold Taiwan's dignity and continuing to step forward into the world."
Debt Threats: How Beijing Grounded Taiwan's President
Storm Media cited national security officials as saying China threatened to revoke debt relief, suspend financing, and impose economic sanctions on Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar — unless all three withdrew overflight permits for the Taiwanese presidential aircraft. All three complied abruptly and without warning.
At the Presidential Office press conference, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said the cancellations were highly unusual. Wu Chih-chung added that while Taiwan understood the economic pressures facing the three nations, it condemned China's interference in their internal affairs and sovereignty.
According toReuters, a Malagasy foreign ministry official confirmed the overflight request was denied, citing Madagascar's one-China position and its sovereign authority over its own airspace. The Seychelles government declined to comment; Mauritius did not respond.
