Beijing: China has praised three African countries for denying airspace access to a plane carrying Lai Ching-te, a move that forced him to cancel a planned visit to Eswatini and has drawn global attention to the growing rivalry between Beijing and Taipei.
The countries involved, Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar, refused to allow the Taiwanese presidential aircraft to pass through their airspace. Without a safe route, President Lai had to cancel his trip to Eswatini, which is Taiwan’s only remaining diplomatic ally in Africa.
China welcomed the decision, saying it reflects international support for the one China principle. Under this policy, China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and opposes any actions that treat it as a separate country. Beijing does not recognise Taiwan’s president as a head of state and discourages other nations from engaging with Taiwanese leaders in an official capacity.
To understand the issue, it is important to note that Taiwan operates as a self governed island with its own government, military and elections. However, only a small number of countries officially recognise it as a sovereign nation because of pressure from China, which has strong economic and political influence around the world, including in Africa.
Taiwan said the airspace permissions were withdrawn suddenly and blamed pressure from Beijing. Officials in Taipei described the move as political coercion and said it shows how China is trying to isolate Taiwan internationally and limit its diplomatic activities.
Despite the cancelled visit, Eswatini reaffirmed its relationship with Taiwan and maintained diplomatic ties. The country has long been one of Taiwan’s closest partners in Africa, even as most other nations on the continent recognise Beijing instead.
Analysts say the incident is significant because it shows a new way China can exert influence, not just through formal diplomatic ties but also through control over travel routes and international access. It is also seen as a rare case where a Taiwanese president had to cancel a foreign visit due to lack of overflight permission.
The episode highlights how the competition between China and Taiwan is increasingly playing out far beyond Asia, with Africa becoming an important region where diplomatic loyalties and global influence are being tested.