Taiwan’s Lai visits Eswatini despite Chinese pressure, says he met King and signed trade deals

Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te arrived in Eswatini on Saturday despite what Taipei described as Chinese efforts to block the trip, saying he met King Mswati III and signed trade agreements. Lai wrote on Facebook that his arrival followed “meticulous arrangements made by our diplomatic and national security teams,” though it was unclear how he reached the kingdom.

He said he was greeted with a “military-style welcoming ceremony.” The visit had originally been planned for late April, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar cancelled flight permits for his charter plane without notice, according to Taiwan’s presidential office.

It said the cancellations followed heavy pressure from Beijing, including economic coercion, calling the move “without precedent in the international community.” China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and urges other countries to halt official engagement with the island’s government, criticized the trip.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson called it a “laughable stunt” and said Lai used a “foreign plane to ‘smuggle’ himself out of the island,” reiterating Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of China. China has spent decades pressing countries to cut formal ties with Taipei, leaving Taiwan with only 12 diplomatic allies, including Belize, Guatemala, Haiti and the Vatican.

Eswatini is the only country in Africa that still recognizes Taiwan. Although the United States does not recognize Taiwan, it has pledged to help Taipei defend itself under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. Lai thanked King Mswati III for standing with Taiwan “undeterred by various diplomatic and economic pressures” and said his government will not give up on engaging with the world.

He added that no country has the right to prevent Taiwan from contributing internationally.