FILE – Taiwan President Lai Ching-tey delivers a speech while inspecting Taiwanese reservists participating in reserve military training in Ilan County, eastern Taiwan, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
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TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwanese President Lai Ching-tey said he arrived in the African country of Eswatini on Saturday, days after his government was forced to postpone the trip when several countries reportedly withdrew permission to fly over their territories due to Chinese pressure.
In a post on X, Lai said he arrived in Eswatini – Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in Africa – to “reaffirm our long-term friendship.” He said Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy that China considers part of its territory, “will never fear external pressures.”
Lai was originally scheduled to visit the southern African country from April 22, but Taiwanese officials said flight permits were revoked by Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar due to “strong pressure from Chinese authorities, including economic pressure”.
In a separate Facebook post on Saturday, Lai wrote that the visit was possible after careful arrangements by his diplomatic and national security teams. He said the visit will deepen the friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini through closer economic, agricultural, cultural and educational ties.
“Our resolve and commitment are based on the understanding that Taiwan will continue to engage with the world – no matter what challenges it faces,” Lai wrote on Twitter. Taiwan did not announce the latest plans for Lai’s visit to Eswatini ahead of his arrival.
A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement shortly after Lai posted on social media about his trip that he was “pulling a ridiculous stunt in front of the world,” and referred to him being “smuggled” from Taiwan.
Lai’s “indecent actions” and visit “will always cause harm and will never change the fact that Taiwan is part of China,” the ministry said. “We urge Eswatini and some other individual countries to see where the curve of history bends and stop acting as supporters of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists.”
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry hit back, saying Lai’s visit was conducted in accordance with “international law, international norms, diplomatic practices” and Taiwan’s regulations.
Lai’s arrival in Eswatini was announced only after he had landed safely, the ministry said in a written statement, a precaution that the ministry said had several international precedents.
China has not ruled out using force to gain control of Taiwan and has sought to prevent other countries from maintaining formal diplomatic relations with Taipei.
In 2023, Tsai Ing-wen was the most recent President of Taiwan to visit Eswatini, a small, landlocked country with a population of about 1.2 million. Eswatini became the only African country excluded from tariff-free access to the Chinese market due to relations with Taiwan.
On Friday, Taiwan’s government expressed concern when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a phone call that Taiwan is the “biggest risk” when it comes to relations between Beijing and Washington.
