After Zheng-Xi Meeting, President's Trip Disrupted; Presidential Office: Proves China's False Goodwill, True Threat
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's planned visit to diplomatic ally Eswatini was emergency-postponed due to China's interference. The Presidential Office stated that this proves China's goodwill is false and its threats are real, strongly condemning Beijing's actions.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 21, 2026 at 20:20
- 🔍 Collected: April 21, 2026 at 20:32 (11 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 22, 2026 at 01:02 (4h 30m after Collected)
Central News Agency (Taipei, April 21st) – President Lai Ching-te's planned visit to diplomatic ally Eswatini, originally scheduled to begin on April 22nd, has been urgently postponed due to interference from China, Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an announced today. This situation is unprecedented, and it proves that China's proclaimed goodwill towards Taiwan and desire for cross-strait peace are false, while its threats are real.
This year marks the 58th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Eswatini. To celebrate King Mswati III's 40th ascension anniversary and his 58th birthday, Eswatini is holding a series of celebratory events from April 24th to April 26th. President Lai was originally scheduled to fly directly to Eswatini for a visit from April 22nd to 27th. However, Pan Men-an, National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Chih-chung, and Presidential Office Spokesperson Kuo Ya-hui held an impromptu press conference tonight, explaining that President Lai's visit was urgently postponed due to Chinese interference.
Pan Men-an stated that in response to urgent changes in circumstances, three countries on the presidential plane's flight path – Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar – suddenly cancelled their flight permits. After careful evaluation by the national security team, considering the safety of the head of state and the delegation, the decision was made to postpone the trip. President Lai will instead appoint a special envoy to attend Eswatini's dual celebrations.
Pan Men-an said that the three countries cancelled the flight permits without warning or reason, and the actual cause was strong pressure, including economic coercion, from the Chinese authorities. China's use of coercive tactics to force a sovereign decision on a third country, impacting flight safety, violates relevant international norms and practices. It is also an open interference in the internal affairs of other countries and a disruption of the regional status quo. This is unprecedented internationally and hurts the feelings of the Taiwanese people, and the Republic of China government strongly condemns it.
He emphasized that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign state and a Taiwan of the world. The 23 million Taiwanese people have the right to engage with the world, and no country has the right to obstruct them. He also thanked like-minded countries that have assisted Taiwan in recent days.
When asked by the media if this incident, occurring after the Zheng-Xi meeting (between Kuomintang Chairman Cheng Li-wen and CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping), indicates that China's goodwill is false, Pan Men-an replied that China always has no reason to disrupt peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region, and that saying one thing and doing another is the norm and mentality of authoritarian and hegemonic countries. He added that for a long time, China's military exercises and harassment in the first island chain and around the Taiwan Strait have increased rather than decreased, drawing international attention.
Pan Men-an stated that Beijing's authorities publicly claim goodwill towards Taiwan and desire cross-strait peace, yet they continue to threaten and suppress Taiwan, repeatedly hurting the feelings of the Taiwanese people. This incident further proves that China's goodwill is false and its threats are real. The government of the Republic of China strongly condemns Beijing's actions and reiterates that Taiwan has the right to engage with the world, and the world needs Taiwan's contributions even more. China's suppression and obstruction cannot shake the Taiwanese people's determination to engage with the world.
Regarding the urgent postponement of the trip on the eve of departure, Pan Men-an pointed out that this is unprecedented in the history of the Republic of China, or indeed globally. Such actions by a hegemonic country, influencing other sovereign states and countries it wishes to unify, have rarely been seen before, highlighting Beijing's malicious intentions, which are known to all. As for the level of the future envoy, he said that the selection of the envoy is currently being discussed with Eswatini, with mutual respect, to avoid the related trip being affected by China's malicious disruption and impacting the friendship between the two countries. The envoy's identity will be announced by President Lai after confirmation.
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This year marks the 58th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Eswatini. To celebrate King Mswati III's 40th ascension anniversary and his 58th birthday, Eswatini is holding a series of celebratory events from April 24th to April 26th. President Lai was originally scheduled to fly directly to Eswatini for a visit from April 22nd to 27th. However, Pan Men-an, National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Chih-chung, and Presidential Office Spokesperson Kuo Ya-hui held an impromptu press conference tonight, explaining that President Lai's visit was urgently postponed due to Chinese interference.
Pan Men-an stated that in response to urgent changes in circumstances, three countries on the presidential plane's flight path – Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar – suddenly cancelled their flight permits. After careful evaluation by the national security team, considering the safety of the head of state and the delegation, the decision was made to postpone the trip. President Lai will instead appoint a special envoy to attend Eswatini's dual celebrations.
Pan Men-an said that the three countries cancelled the flight permits without warning or reason, and the actual cause was strong pressure, including economic coercion, from the Chinese authorities. China's use of coercive tactics to force a sovereign decision on a third country, impacting flight safety, violates relevant international norms and practices. It is also an open interference in the internal affairs of other countries and a disruption of the regional status quo. This is unprecedented internationally and hurts the feelings of the Taiwanese people, and the Republic of China government strongly condemns it.
He emphasized that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign state and a Taiwan of the world. The 23 million Taiwanese people have the right to engage with the world, and no country has the right to obstruct them. He also thanked like-minded countries that have assisted Taiwan in recent days.
When asked by the media if this incident, occurring after the Zheng-Xi meeting (between Kuomintang Chairman Cheng Li-wen and CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping), indicates that China's goodwill is false, Pan Men-an replied that China always has no reason to disrupt peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region, and that saying one thing and doing another is the norm and mentality of authoritarian and hegemonic countries. He added that for a long time, China's military exercises and harassment in the first island chain and around the Taiwan Strait have increased rather than decreased, drawing international attention.
Pan Men-an stated that Beijing's authorities publicly claim goodwill towards Taiwan and desire cross-strait peace, yet they continue to threaten and suppress Taiwan, repeatedly hurting the feelings of the Taiwanese people. This incident further proves that China's goodwill is false and its threats are real. The government of the Republic of China strongly condemns Beijing's actions and reiterates that Taiwan has the right to engage with the world, and the world needs Taiwan's contributions even more. China's suppression and obstruction cannot shake the Taiwanese people's determination to engage with the world.
Regarding the urgent postponement of the trip on the eve of departure, Pan Men-an pointed out that this is unprecedented in the history of the Republic of China, or indeed globally. Such actions by a hegemonic country, influencing other sovereign states and countries it wishes to unify, have rarely been seen before, highlighting Beijing's malicious intentions, which are known to all. As for the level of the future envoy, he said that the selection of the envoy is currently being discussed with Eswatini, with mutual respect, to avoid the related trip being affected by China's malicious disruption and impacting the friendship between the two countries. The envoy's identity will be announced by President Lai after confirmation.
Choose to stand with the facts; every sponsorship you provide helps safeguard press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-Hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.