President Lai's State Visit Obstructed; Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Calls for Ensuring Aviation Transparency
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's planned visit to Eswatini was postponed after transit countries abruptly canceled flight permissions due to Chinese pressure. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara and several lawmakers condemned the coercion, urging transparent aviation operations and expressing solidarity with Taiwan.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 16:22
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 16:31 (9 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 18:17 (1h 45m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA, Reporter Tai Ya-chen, Tokyo, 23rd) Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stated at a press conference today regarding the cancellation of President Lai Ching-te's visit to Taiwan's African ally, the Kingdom of Eswatini, due to pressure from China, that 'ensuring aviation safety and security, which is a common interest of the international community, is of utmost importance.' He pointed out that relevant countries should operate in a transparent manner. He also stated that Japan is aware of Taiwan's explanation and will continue to monitor the situation.
President Lai was originally scheduled to fly directly on the 22nd to visit African ally Eswatini. However, the trip was suspended because the Indian Ocean island nations of Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar, which are also in Africa, suddenly canceled the flight permission for the special plane without warning. The U.S. Congress, the European Union, and ally Paraguay have successively condemned Beijing for weaponizing aviation safety and using economic coercion to isolate democratic partners.
Multiple politicians in the Japanese Diet have taken turns speaking up for Taiwan. Representative Shojiro Hiranuma forwarded relevant posts on X, stating that some countries revoked flight permissions under Chinese pressure, emphasizing that 'third countries should not be forced to change their sovereign judgments through such coercive means.'
Senator Mizuho Umemura stated that President Lai's assertion that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other is essentially maintaining the status quo. She said China should realize that it is precisely these kinds of tactics that are damaging their international reputation. Umemura also pointed out that the situation where China erodes the sovereignty of various countries through so-called 'debt traps' is gradually being exposed to the daylight.
Senator Seki Hei, who noted on his X account that he is 'the first lawmaker sanctioned by China,' harshly criticized, 'This is an unreasonable interference and suppression by the dictatorial CCP regime against the democratic nation of Taiwan.'
He emphasized: 'For us who share common values, we absolutely cannot tolerate such behavior. Here, we strongly condemn the tyrannical actions of China under the leadership of Xi Jinping, and at the same time, express our solidarity with our important friendly nation, Taiwan. We stand with Taiwan!'
In addition, Senator Hirofumi Takinami, known as a 'Taiwanese son-in-law,' also shared several related posts, pointing out that it is hard for a liberal democratic country like Japan to imagine China's authoritarian pressure. He quoted President Lai's Facebook post, saying, 'This once again shows the impact and harm that authoritarian countries pose to international order and peace and stability.' (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150423
(CNA, Reporter Tai Ya-chen, Tokyo, 23rd) Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stated at a press conference today regarding the cancellation of President Lai Ching-te's visit to Taiwan's African ally, the Kingdom of Eswatini, due to pressure from China, that 'ensuring aviation safety and security, which is a common interest of the international community, is of utmost importance.' He pointed out that relevant countries should operate in a transparent manner. He also stated that Japan is aware of Taiwan's explanation and will continue to monitor the situation.
President Lai was originally scheduled to fly directly on the 22nd to visit African ally Eswatini. However, the trip was suspended because the Indian Ocean island nations of Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar, which are also in Africa, suddenly canceled the flight permission for the special plane without warning. The U.S. Congress, the European Union, and ally Paraguay have successively condemned Beijing for weaponizing aviation safety and using economic coercion to isolate democratic partners.
Multiple politicians in the Japanese Diet have taken turns speaking up for Taiwan. Representative Shojiro Hiranuma forwarded relevant posts on X, stating that some countries revoked flight permissions under Chinese pressure, emphasizing that 'third countries should not be forced to change their sovereign judgments through such coercive means.'
Senator Mizuho Umemura stated that President Lai's assertion that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other is essentially maintaining the status quo. She said China should realize that it is precisely these kinds of tactics that are damaging their international reputation. Umemura also pointed out that the situation where China erodes the sovereignty of various countries through so-called 'debt traps' is gradually being exposed to the daylight.
Senator Seki Hei, who noted on his X account that he is 'the first lawmaker sanctioned by China,' harshly criticized, 'This is an unreasonable interference and suppression by the dictatorial CCP regime against the democratic nation of Taiwan.'
He emphasized: 'For us who share common values, we absolutely cannot tolerate such behavior. Here, we strongly condemn the tyrannical actions of China under the leadership of Xi Jinping, and at the same time, express our solidarity with our important friendly nation, Taiwan. We stand with Taiwan!'
In addition, Senator Hirofumi Takinami, known as a 'Taiwanese son-in-law,' also shared several related posts, pointing out that it is hard for a liberal democratic country like Japan to imagine China's authoritarian pressure. He quoted President Lai's Facebook post, saying, 'This once again shows the impact and harm that authoritarian countries pose to international order and peace and stability.' (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150423