US EditionTaiwan Won't Give in to Pressure, President Says on Return From Eswatini
Lai returned to Taiwan after African states revoked overflight permits, forcing him to use Eswatini’s private jet for the trip, officials said.
- On Tuesday, President Lai Ching-te returned to Taiwan from Eswatini, declaring, "We will not retreat in the face of suppression" after taking a circuitous route over the Indian Ocean to avoid Beijing-friendly airspace.
- Beijing's "economic coercion" forced postponement of Lai's original trip last month after Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked overflight permits for his chartered plane.
- Legislator Hsu Yu-chen warned that the king's Airbus A340-313 lacked military-grade encrypted communications, risking a "command vacuum" during the 14-hour return flight with Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla aboard.
- The US State Department described Taiwan as a "trusted and capable" partner, noting Eswatini remains one of just 12 countries with formal diplomatic ties with the island.
- China labels Lai a "separatist" and claims Taiwan has no right to state-to-state ties, while Lai rejects these assertions, insisting, "Taiwanese people have the right to engage with the world.
35 Articles
35 Articles
Taiwan president says island has ‘right to engage with the world’
By Joy Chiang Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said Tuesday the democratic island has the “right to engage with the world”, after he returned from a trip to Africa that Taipei has accused Beijing of trying to derail. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te arrives in Taipei on May 5, 2026, after his visit to Eswatini. Photo: Taiwan’s Presidential Office. Taiwan said China applied “intense pressure” to Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar to revoke overfli…
InsideNoVA.com
Taiwan leader says island has 'right to engage with the world'
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said Tuesday the democratic island has the "right to engage with the world", after he returned from a trip to Africa that Taipei has accused Beijing of trying to derail.
Returning from an official visit to Eswatini, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te reaffirmed the sovereignty of the island in the face of the diplomatic pressure exerted by Beijing Taiwan has "the right to
Associated Press News
Taiwan's president says state visits are 'basic right' after trip he says Beijing tried to block
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said state visits are a basic right of governments after returning from a three-day trip to Eswatini that Taiwan's government says China tried to block.
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