President Lai's Africa Trip Blocked; Indian Scholar: China's New Tactic to Isolate Taiwan
President Lai Ching-te's planned visit to African ally Eswatini was cancelled after three countries revoked airspace permissions. Indian scholar Samir Bhattacharya warns that airspace denial is becoming China's new primary tool for isolating Taiwan.
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- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 20:23
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 20:31 (8 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 02:45 (6h 13m after Collected)
President Lai Ching-te's visit to an African ally was obstructed, and Samir Bhattacharya, an Indian scholar specializing in African affairs, stated in an exclusive interview with CNA that African countries were persuaded by China to prohibit Taiwan from using their airspace. This, he argues, will become a new route for China to isolate Taiwan.
President Lai was scheduled to visit Eswatini on the 22nd, but the plan was aborted after Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar abruptly revoked flight permits for the special jet. Bhattacharya, an associate fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), noted that China views its 'One China' policy as a core interest and does not hesitate to punish or pressure countries that offer official contact or recognition to Taiwan.
'Some African countries are actually friendly toward Taiwan, but the conditions offered by China are so lucrative that they are hard to ignore,' Bhattacharya told CNA. He added that China's systemic compression of Taiwan's diplomatic space has left Eswatini as the only African country with formal ties to Taiwan. China has excluded Eswatini from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Belt and Road Initiative as punishment.
Bhattacharya pointed out that while diplomatic ties have long been a battlefield, China is now extending this competition into the dimension of airspace. Most of Taiwan's allies are surrounded by countries that recognize China, creating strategic vulnerabilities during official travel. 'If China can convince countries to ban Taiwan from using their airspace, then Taiwan is practically trapped in its own country,' he warned.
He cited this recent incident as a dangerous precedent. While no country admitted that the decision was influenced by China, the timing and coordination suggest otherwise. Bhattacharya believes this is not the last time China will use airspace as a weapon. This strategy forces other countries into a dilemma between maintaining relations with Taiwan and their economic ties with China, significantly complicating the diplomatic landscape for Taiwan.
President Lai was scheduled to visit Eswatini on the 22nd, but the plan was aborted after Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar abruptly revoked flight permits for the special jet. Bhattacharya, an associate fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), noted that China views its 'One China' policy as a core interest and does not hesitate to punish or pressure countries that offer official contact or recognition to Taiwan.
'Some African countries are actually friendly toward Taiwan, but the conditions offered by China are so lucrative that they are hard to ignore,' Bhattacharya told CNA. He added that China's systemic compression of Taiwan's diplomatic space has left Eswatini as the only African country with formal ties to Taiwan. China has excluded Eswatini from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Belt and Road Initiative as punishment.
Bhattacharya pointed out that while diplomatic ties have long been a battlefield, China is now extending this competition into the dimension of airspace. Most of Taiwan's allies are surrounded by countries that recognize China, creating strategic vulnerabilities during official travel. 'If China can convince countries to ban Taiwan from using their airspace, then Taiwan is practically trapped in its own country,' he warned.
He cited this recent incident as a dangerous precedent. While no country admitted that the decision was influenced by China, the timing and coordination suggest otherwise. Bhattacharya believes this is not the last time China will use airspace as a weapon. This strategy forces other countries into a dilemma between maintaining relations with Taiwan and their economic ties with China, significantly complicating the diplomatic landscape for Taiwan.