Taiwan's President Lai Lands in Eswatini After Overflight Delays
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te arrived in Eswatini following a delayed departure caused by several countries withdrawing overflight permissions, reportedly due to Chinese pressure.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te arrived in the African nation of Eswatini on Saturday, confirming his landing in a post on the social media platform X. The arrival marks the beginning of a diplomatic visit that was pushed back by several days after the Taiwanese government was forced to alter its travel plans.[2]
The delay in the president's schedule was caused by a sudden lack of overflight clearance. According to reports, several countries withdrew their previously granted permission for Lai's aircraft to fly over their sovereign territories. This withdrawal of airspace access was reportedly the result of diplomatic pressure exerted by the Chinese government.[1][2][3][4][5]
Eswatini's relationship with Taiwan makes it a unique diplomatic partner on the continent. Due to its continued official ties with the Taiwanese government, Eswatini remains the only African nation that does not receive tariff-free access to China's economic market.[1][3][4][5]
