Overview
- Taiwan’s foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, arrived in Eswatini as a special envoy after the president’s visit was halted by denied airspace access to the kingdom, Taiwan’s only ally in Africa.
- Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked previously granted overflight permits that Taiwan says were needed for the route to Eswatini.
- Taiwan and the United States say China pressured those governments, while Beijing denies coercion and praises the decisions as support for its one‑China stance.
- Aviation experts warn that using Flight Information Regions, which exist to keep planes safe beyond a country’s own skies, as political leverage would break long‑standing civil aviation norms.
- Analysts call the canceled trip a first for a Taiwanese president and say it reflects Beijing’s growing sway in Africa, as Western governments voice concern and Eswatini remains outside China’s new zero‑tariff plan.