Overview
- Lai, who arrived back in Taiwan on Tuesday, called state visits a basic right after a three-day trip to Eswatini, Taiwan’s only African ally.
- Taipei says Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked overflight permits under Chinese pressure, which it described as unprecedented coercion.
- The Eswatini king’s Airbus A340 carried Lai, and flight data showed a long route over the southern Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia to bypass blocked paths.
- Indonesia said the flight used its right of overflight under international law, and Taiwan released images showing F-16 jets escorting the aircraft near home.
- China denounced the trip as a “stowaway-style” farce, while the United States rejected Beijing’s intimidation and said such visits by Taiwan’s leaders are routine.