Presidential Office blames China for cancellation of Lai's Eswatini trip
Posted on 2026-04-22 06:50:13
President Lai Ching-te has cancelled his planned visit to Eswatini.
Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an blames the cancellation on what he's described as "economic coercion" by China.
The Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar are said to have "unexpectedly and without justification rescinded overflight permission."
Those three countries are located along the flight path of the chartered plane that Lai, his delegation and members of his national security team were scheduled to take to Eswatini.
The five-day trip would have been Lai's first visit to Africa and only his second overseas trip since he took office in May of 2024.
The Presidential Office secretary-general has not said whether a new date is being considered for the trip, but is describing China's move as "unprecedented."
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