President Lai's Visit Blocked; German MP: Silence Should Not Be an Option When Taiwan is Oppressed
President Lai Ching-te's trip to Eswatini was delayed after countries like Seychelles revoked flight permissions under suspected pressure from China. A German MP criticized the political weaponization of flight rights and called for stronger support for Taiwan.
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- 📰 Published: April 25, 2026 at 08:54
- 🔍 Collected: April 25, 2026 at 09:01 (7 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 25, 2026 at 09:05 (4 min after Collected)
Central News
(CNA Correspondent Lin Shang-ying in Berlin, 24th) President Lai Ching-te was originally scheduled to visit Eswatini on the 22nd, but the trip was forced to be postponed because three countries, including Seychelles, abruptly canceled the special plane's overflight permissions. German MP Klaus-Peter Willsch criticized that this incident shows China has extended its political pressure into the aviation sector, arguing that overflight rights should not become a political tool, and that in the face of Taiwan's suppression, silence should not be an option.
President Lai's trip to Eswatini originally required flying through the airspaces of Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar. These countries all have close relations with China. The sudden withdrawal or refusal to provide overflight permissions by the three countries is widely interpreted as Beijing intervening through its influence to restrict Taiwan's international operational space.
German MP Klaus-Peter Willsch posted on social media today, pointing out that this process clearly shows that China's political pressure has expanded into the international aviation field.
Willsch, who also serves as the chair of the cross-party parliamentary group on aviation and space, believes that overflight rights are based on technical and safety considerations and should not be reduced to political tools. If denied due to geopolitical factors, it directly impacts the fundamental principles established by the Chicago Convention. "Weaponizing" overflight rights will endanger global aviation safety, stability, and trust.
The "Chicago Convention" is an international civil aviation agreement signed in 1944. It confirms that states have sovereignty over their airspace while also setting cooperation principles and basic operational methods that international air transport should follow.
Willsch said that Taiwan has continuously suffered political suppression from Beijing in the aviation field for many years. Today's situation is not an isolated case; for instance, Taiwan is still excluded from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which he finds particularly heavy-hearted.
He stated that Taiwan, as a beacon of democracy, is an indispensable partner in international aviation and should be included in relevant systems. In the face of Taiwan being suppressed, silence should not be an option.
The 64-year-old Willsch is a senior MP of the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He served as the chairman of the German Parliament's Taiwan Friendship Group for 15 years and remains a member of the group.
When Willsch stepped down as chairman last year, he shared in an exclusive interview with CNA that the spirit of "fighting for freedom" represented by Taiwan has always deeply attracted him. He said he would continue to promote Taiwan as an equal partner in the international community after stepping down.
In addition to Willsch, Till Steffen, a Green Party MP and current chairman of the German Parliament's Taiwan Friendship Group, also posted on the 23rd, stating that China is isolating Taiwan by putting pressure on African countries. He urged that Germany should learn lessons from its past policies toward Russia and called on the federal government to strengthen its support for Taiwan. (Editor: Chen Hui-ping)
(CNA Correspondent Lin Shang-ying in Berlin, 24th) President Lai Ching-te was originally scheduled to visit Eswatini on the 22nd, but the trip was forced to be postponed because three countries, including Seychelles, abruptly canceled the special plane's overflight permissions. German MP Klaus-Peter Willsch criticized that this incident shows China has extended its political pressure into the aviation sector, arguing that overflight rights should not become a political tool, and that in the face of Taiwan's suppression, silence should not be an option.
President Lai's trip to Eswatini originally required flying through the airspaces of Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar. These countries all have close relations with China. The sudden withdrawal or refusal to provide overflight permissions by the three countries is widely interpreted as Beijing intervening through its influence to restrict Taiwan's international operational space.
German MP Klaus-Peter Willsch posted on social media today, pointing out that this process clearly shows that China's political pressure has expanded into the international aviation field.
Willsch, who also serves as the chair of the cross-party parliamentary group on aviation and space, believes that overflight rights are based on technical and safety considerations and should not be reduced to political tools. If denied due to geopolitical factors, it directly impacts the fundamental principles established by the Chicago Convention. "Weaponizing" overflight rights will endanger global aviation safety, stability, and trust.
The "Chicago Convention" is an international civil aviation agreement signed in 1944. It confirms that states have sovereignty over their airspace while also setting cooperation principles and basic operational methods that international air transport should follow.
Willsch said that Taiwan has continuously suffered political suppression from Beijing in the aviation field for many years. Today's situation is not an isolated case; for instance, Taiwan is still excluded from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which he finds particularly heavy-hearted.
He stated that Taiwan, as a beacon of democracy, is an indispensable partner in international aviation and should be included in relevant systems. In the face of Taiwan being suppressed, silence should not be an option.
The 64-year-old Willsch is a senior MP of the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He served as the chairman of the German Parliament's Taiwan Friendship Group for 15 years and remains a member of the group.
When Willsch stepped down as chairman last year, he shared in an exclusive interview with CNA that the spirit of "fighting for freedom" represented by Taiwan has always deeply attracted him. He said he would continue to promote Taiwan as an equal partner in the international community after stepping down.
In addition to Willsch, Till Steffen, a Green Party MP and current chairman of the German Parliament's Taiwan Friendship Group, also posted on the 23rd, stating that China is isolating Taiwan by putting pressure on African countries. He urged that Germany should learn lessons from its past policies toward Russia and called on the federal government to strengthen its support for Taiwan. (Editor: Chen Hui-ping)