Lai Ching-te: Called the King of Eswatini Immediately, Diplomatic Ties Will Be More United
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te postponed his visit to the African ally, the Kingdom of Eswatini, due to Chinese interference. The president emphasized that he called the king to offer birthday wishes and apologies, and stated that the two countries' friendship would not be shaken by external pressure but would instead become more united.
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- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 16:32
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(Central News Agency, Taipei, 22nd) President Lai Ching-te was originally scheduled to visit the African ally, the Kingdom of Eswatini, today, but the trip was postponed due to Chinese interference. He said he personally called the king at the first opportunity to wish him a happy birthday and to apologize for not being able to attend the celebration in person. He and King Mswati III of Eswatini both expressed regret and reiterated that the friendship between the two countries will not be affected and that under external pressure, they will only cooperate more solidly.
President Lai was originally scheduled to visit Eswatini today, but the trip was postponed because Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar suddenly canceled the charter flight's permit.
At the DPP's Central Executive Committee meeting today, President Lai, who is also the chairman of the DPP, said that he was supposed to lead a delegation to the allied nation of the Kingdom of Eswatini today to celebrate King Mswati III's 58th birthday and the 58th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of China and Eswatini. However, the trip had to be canceled because the Chinese government pressured a third country to temporarily revoke the aviation permit.
Lai said he had already personally called the king to wish him a happy birthday and to apologize for not being able to attend the celebration in person. He and King Mswati III both expressed regret and reiterated that the friendship between the two countries will not be affected and that under external pressure, they will only cooperate more solidly.
Lai stated that Taiwan is a sovereign country, it is the world's Taiwan, and the 23 million people of Taiwan have the right to engage with the world. No country can stop it, nor can it be stopped. "The more China suppresses us, the more we must show a fearless spirit, continue to strengthen our national strength, and steadily move towards the international stage."
In addition, Lai also expressed his sincere gratitude to the democratic partners who have been assisting Taiwan in negotiations in recent days and to the diplomatic personnel working on the front lines. In the future, Taiwan will continue to work with like-minded democratic camps to jointly maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and to protect the values of freedom and democracy.
Finally, Lai called on the ruling and opposition parties in the country to more clearly recognize China's true nature in the face of its actions to undermine regional harmony and violate Taiwan's sovereignty, and to unite regardless of party affiliation to protect national dignity. (Editor: Lin Hsing-meng) 1150422
President Lai was originally scheduled to visit Eswatini today, but the trip was postponed because Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar suddenly canceled the charter flight's permit.
At the DPP's Central Executive Committee meeting today, President Lai, who is also the chairman of the DPP, said that he was supposed to lead a delegation to the allied nation of the Kingdom of Eswatini today to celebrate King Mswati III's 58th birthday and the 58th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of China and Eswatini. However, the trip had to be canceled because the Chinese government pressured a third country to temporarily revoke the aviation permit.
Lai said he had already personally called the king to wish him a happy birthday and to apologize for not being able to attend the celebration in person. He and King Mswati III both expressed regret and reiterated that the friendship between the two countries will not be affected and that under external pressure, they will only cooperate more solidly.
Lai stated that Taiwan is a sovereign country, it is the world's Taiwan, and the 23 million people of Taiwan have the right to engage with the world. No country can stop it, nor can it be stopped. "The more China suppresses us, the more we must show a fearless spirit, continue to strengthen our national strength, and steadily move towards the international stage."
In addition, Lai also expressed his sincere gratitude to the democratic partners who have been assisting Taiwan in negotiations in recent days and to the diplomatic personnel working on the front lines. In the future, Taiwan will continue to work with like-minded democratic camps to jointly maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and to protect the values of freedom and democracy.
Finally, Lai called on the ruling and opposition parties in the country to more clearly recognize China's true nature in the face of its actions to undermine regional harmony and violate Taiwan's sovereignty, and to unite regardless of party affiliation to protect national dignity. (Editor: Lin Hsing-meng) 1150422