TAIPEI, April 21 (Reuters) – Taiwan said on Tuesday it had cancelled President Lai Ching-te’s trip to Eswatini this week, accusing China of pressing three other African countries to revoke permission for his aircraft to overfly their territories.
The small southern African nation of Eswatini is one of only 12 countries to retain formal ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan. Lai was due to leave on Wednesday for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession.
Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Meng-an said the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar unilaterally revoked flight permits for the presidential aircraft without prior warning.
“The actual reason was intense pressure exerted by Chinese authorities, including economic coercion,” he added.
China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Madagascar foreign ministry official told Reuters the overflight request had been denied. “Malagasy diplomacy recognizes only one China. The decision was made in full respect of Madagascar’s sovereignty over its airspace,” the official said.
The Seychelles government declined to comment and Mauritius did not immediately respond to requests for a response.
Taiwan presidents normally overfly countries with which the island does not have formal relations with no problems, but China has an especial dislike of Lai, whom it calls a “separatist”.
Lai says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future and that the island has a right to engage with the rest of the world without Beijing’s interference.
Pan said China’s actions were “unprecedented” in its “coercing a third country to alter its sovereign decision through intimidation”.
This not only jeopardises flight safety and violates international norms but also offends the feelings of Taiwan’s people, and the government condemns China’s actions, he added.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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