President Lai's trip blocked; US State Dept criticizes specific countries acting under Beijing's orders
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's trip to Eswatini was postponed after several African nations revoked flight permissions. The US State Department criticized these countries for acting under China's orders and urged Beijing to stop its pressure tactics.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 04:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 04:31 (31 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 06:05 (1h 33m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Hou Tzu-ying, Washington, 22nd, special report) The planned trip of President Lai Ching-te to the African ally Eswatini has been postponed. The US State Department, responding to a question from a Central News Agency reporter today, expressed concern over the relevant reports and criticized specific countries for interfering with the safety of Taiwan officials' routine travel at China's request. The State Department also urged China to cease its pressure on Taiwan and engage in meaningful dialogue instead.
President Lai was originally scheduled to depart for the ally Eswatini on the 22nd Taipei time, but Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar suddenly canceled the flight permissions for his special plane, leading to the postponement of the itinerary. China's pressure on third countries to obstruct the travel of Taiwan's head of state has drawn international attention.
A State Department spokesperson responded to the reporter's question via email on background this afternoon, stating that they are concerned about the reports. According to the reports, several countries revoked flight clearances, preventing the Taiwanese President from visiting Eswatini.
The spokesperson added that these countries, at China's request, interfered with the safety and dignity of Taiwanese officials' routine travel. These countries manage international airspace within their Flight Information Regions, which extends far beyond the airspace above their sovereign territory, and "the sole purpose of this management responsibility is to ensure aviation safety, not to serve as a political tool for Beijing."
The spokesperson pointed out that this is another example of Beijing intimidating Taiwan and its global supporters, abusing the international civil aviation system, and threatening international peace and prosperity. "We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue." 1150423
(Central News Agency reporter Hou Tzu-ying, Washington, 22nd, special report) The planned trip of President Lai Ching-te to the African ally Eswatini has been postponed. The US State Department, responding to a question from a Central News Agency reporter today, expressed concern over the relevant reports and criticized specific countries for interfering with the safety of Taiwan officials' routine travel at China's request. The State Department also urged China to cease its pressure on Taiwan and engage in meaningful dialogue instead.
President Lai was originally scheduled to depart for the ally Eswatini on the 22nd Taipei time, but Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar suddenly canceled the flight permissions for his special plane, leading to the postponement of the itinerary. China's pressure on third countries to obstruct the travel of Taiwan's head of state has drawn international attention.
A State Department spokesperson responded to the reporter's question via email on background this afternoon, stating that they are concerned about the reports. According to the reports, several countries revoked flight clearances, preventing the Taiwanese President from visiting Eswatini.
The spokesperson added that these countries, at China's request, interfered with the safety and dignity of Taiwanese officials' routine travel. These countries manage international airspace within their Flight Information Regions, which extends far beyond the airspace above their sovereign territory, and "the sole purpose of this management responsibility is to ensure aviation safety, not to serve as a political tool for Beijing."
The spokesperson pointed out that this is another example of Beijing intimidating Taiwan and its global supporters, abusing the international civil aviation system, and threatening international peace and prosperity. "We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue." 1150423