Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has cancelled a planned diplomatic visit to the southern African kingdom of Eswatini, accusing China of exerting pressure on other countries to block his aircraft from using their airspace, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

According to Taiwanese officials, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar unexpectedly revoked overflight permissions after what Taipei described as “intense pressure” and economic coercion from China. Beijing, however, denied any coercion and instead praised the three Indian Ocean nations, saying it “highly appreciates” their decisions.

This marks the first publicly known case in which Taiwan’s president has been forced to cancel an overseas trip due to denied flight clearance. The development highlights how diplomatic tensions are increasingly affecting even basic aviation routes.

Eswatini remains one of only 12 countries that maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and it is the only one located in Africa.

Reuters reported that officials in Seychelles and Madagascar said their decisions were based on their recognition of the “One China” policy, under which they do not officially acknowledge Taiwan as a separate state.

Taiwanese authorities, however, insist that the revocation of flight permits was sudden and done without prior notice, calling it part of a broader pattern of diplomatic pressure.

China continues to uphold its “One China” principle, claiming that Taiwan is an inseparable part of its territory. In contrast, Taiwan operates as a self-governed democracy, with its own government and military, and many of its citizens identify as part of a separate sovereign nation. Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to achieve what it calls “reunification.”

Interestingly, aviation analysts note that incidents like this show how modern geopolitics is extending beyond diplomacy into air traffic control itself, where flight routes, once considered purely technical, are increasingly becoming tools of political influence and international leverage.