Taiwan president postpones Eswatini visit and says China pressured African countries
WRAL • • world
Key Points:
- Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te postponed a planned visit to Eswatini after Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar withdrew flight permits due to pressure from China, according to Taiwan’s presidential office.
- Taiwan’s Secretary-General Pan Meng-an accused China of economic coercion and interference in other countries’ internal affairs, which disrupted the regional status quo and offended the Taiwanese people.
- Eswatini, Taiwan’s last diplomatic ally in Africa, expressed regret over the canceled visit but affirmed its continued bilateral relations with Taiwan.
- China claims Taiwan as a breakaway province and pressures countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing to sever official relations with Taiwan, leading to a decline in Taiwan’s diplomatic allies worldwide.
- Taiwan currently maintains formal diplomatic ties with only 12 countries, mostly smaller nations in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, with recent defections including Nauru, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
