Taiwan's leader scraps travel plans after several African nations withdraw airspace clearances

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te recently sat down for an exclusive interview with AFP at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei on February 10, 2026, where he cautioned that if China were to seize the democratic island, countries in the region would be Beijing's next targets, underscoring the need for Taiwan to significantly bolster its defences.

n

During the interview, his first with a global news agency since taking office in May 2024, Lai expressed confidence that parliament would approve an additional $40 billion budget to fund crucial defence purchases, including weapons from the United States.

n

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has been forced to cancel a trip to the southern African nation of Eswatini, citing China's pressure on other countries to bar his aircraft from flying over their territories as the reason for the cancellation.

n

Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked Lai's flight permits after reportedly facing "intense pressure" and economic coercion from China, according to a Taiwan official, while China denied any coercion and instead praised the three Indian Ocean nations, stating it had "high appreciation" for them.

n

This incident marks the first publicly known instance where Taiwan's leader has had to cancel a foreign trip due to revoked flight permits, with Eswatini being one of the 12 nations that maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan and the only one in Africa.

n

According to Reuters, Seychelles and Madagascar claimed they took the decision because they do not recognise Taiwan, whereas Taiwanese officials alleged that the three African countries revoked the flight permits unexpectedly and without prior notice.

n

China adheres to the "one China" principle, which asserts Beijing's sovereignty over Taiwan, although many in Taiwan consider themselves a sovereign nation, and Beijing views the self-governed island as a breakaway province that will eventually be part of the country.

n

The Chinese government has been vocal in its dislike of Lai, previously describing him as a troublemaker and a "destroyer of cross-strait peace", and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve its goal of reunification.

n

In a statement on X, Lai condemned China's "coercive actions", stating that they "exposed the risks authoritarian regimes pose to the international order" and reaffirmed that "no amount of threats or coercion will shake Taiwan's resolve to engage with the world".

n

The government of Eswatini expressed regret that Lai was unable to visit, but assured that this would not "change the status of our longstanding bilateral relationship", and Taiwan announced that a special envoy will be appointed to attend the celebrations on Lai's behalf.

n

Lai was initially scheduled to spend 22 to 26 April in Eswatini to attend celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III's accession and the king's birthday, but the trip was cancelled due to the revoked flight permits.

n

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also made a statement, saying it was "clear...[that] the so-called 'President of the Republic of China' no longer exists in the world", in a reference to Lai's official title in Taiwan.

n

The House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority in the US criticised Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar, stating they "stood with Taiwan against this blatant coercion" in a post on X, while US Senator Ted Cruz also condemned Mauritius, saying it seemed determined to ally with the Chinese Communist Party.