President Lai's Visit Obstructed, 33 Overseas Taiwanese Groups Jointly Condemn China's Bullying of Taiwan
President Lai Ching-te's visit to Eswatini was obstructed due to China's pressure on three African nations to revoke flight permits. In response, 33 overseas Taiwanese organizations worldwide issued a joint statement condemning Beijing's manipulation of third-country flight permissions as a tool for diplomatic coercion and bullying against Taiwan. This incident raises concerns about the political weaponization of international airspace.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 18:36
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 19:02 (25 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 27, 2026 at 21:30 (2h 28m after Collected)
New Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Yeh Suping, Taipei, 27th) President Lai Ching-te's itinerary to visit the African ally Eswatini was obstructed because the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA), along with 33 overseas Taiwanese organizations globally, issued a statement condemning Beijing's manipulation of third-country flight permits as a tool for diplomatic coercion and bullying Taiwan.
President Lai was originally scheduled to visit the African ally Eswatini on the 22nd, but the trip was forced to be postponed because China pressured Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar to revoke the flight permits for the special plane. This incident has drawn high attention from overseas Taiwanese communities worldwide. Since April 23rd, multiple prominent overseas Chinese leader organizations have successively issued statements, demanding that the international community address China's actions of "weaponizing international airspace."
Overseas Community Affairs Council Minister Hsu Chia-ching stated at the 2026 Greater New York Chapter Annual Dinner of the North American Taiwanese Medical Association on the evening of the 26th, Eastern U.S. time, that the CCP attempts to turn global airspace into a new weapon to blockade and threaten other countries. This is by no means a single threat against Taiwan, but rather the weaponization of the basic common sense and understanding of shared airspace by all countries. The seriousness of the matter is not just that a visit by the Republic of China (Taiwan) was affected, but that global aviation freedom and safety are being weaponized, which will subsequently divide the international community.
Regarding China's coercion of third countries to cancel air rights, the first wave of support from the overseas community was initiated by the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) on April 23rd. FAPA, along with 33 overseas Taiwanese organizations globally, issued a statement condemning Beijing's manipulation of third-country flight permits as a tool for diplomatic coercion and bullying Taiwan.
FAPA's statement emphasized that Taiwan's 23 million people have the right to interact freely with the world according to their will, and Beijing has no right to interfere. In addition to strongly condemning Beijing's actions, the statement also called on the U.S. government and the international community to take action to assist in mediating with Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar to prompt them to promptly restore President Lai's special plane's flight permits and uphold Taiwan's right to interact with its allies.
The Filipino Taiwanese Association issued a statement on April 25th, warning from the perspective of regional security. The statement pointed out that Beijing's transformation of international airspace, which should be neutral and safe, into a tool for political coercion, is extremely similar to the pattern of intrusion the Philippines faces in the West Philippine Sea (the name the Philippines gives to parts of the South China Sea belonging to its exclusive economic zone).
The Filipino overseas community believes that if political pressure is allowed to determine airspace use, it will undermine international rules. The statement reminded all countries that if international airspace is used to isolate Taiwan today, it might also be used to restrict the freedom of navigation and trade routes of other countries in the future.
The All Japan Taiwanese Federation issued a statement today, severely protesting China's deviation from the conventions of flight safety and neutrality. The statement indicated that China's arbitrary restriction of airspace use for specific political purposes has seriously hampered Taiwan's legitimate external exchanges.
The All Japan Taiwanese Federation's statement put forward four demands, including condemning acts of coercion, supporting Taiwan's right to engage in diplomatic activities, appealing to all countries not to succumb to external pressure, and calling on the international community to respond with a clear stance to the undue suppression of Taiwan. (Editor: Lin Kenlun) 1150427
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(Central News Agency reporter Yeh Suping, Taipei, 27th) President Lai Ching-te's itinerary to visit the African ally Eswatini was obstructed because the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA), along with 33 overseas Taiwanese organizations globally, issued a statement condemning Beijing's manipulation of third-country flight permits as a tool for diplomatic coercion and bullying Taiwan.
President Lai was originally scheduled to visit the African ally Eswatini on the 22nd, but the trip was forced to be postponed because China pressured Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar to revoke the flight permits for the special plane. This incident has drawn high attention from overseas Taiwanese communities worldwide. Since April 23rd, multiple prominent overseas Chinese leader organizations have successively issued statements, demanding that the international community address China's actions of "weaponizing international airspace."
Overseas Community Affairs Council Minister Hsu Chia-ching stated at the 2026 Greater New York Chapter Annual Dinner of the North American Taiwanese Medical Association on the evening of the 26th, Eastern U.S. time, that the CCP attempts to turn global airspace into a new weapon to blockade and threaten other countries. This is by no means a single threat against Taiwan, but rather the weaponization of the basic common sense and understanding of shared airspace by all countries. The seriousness of the matter is not just that a visit by the Republic of China (Taiwan) was affected, but that global aviation freedom and safety are being weaponized, which will subsequently divide the international community.
Regarding China's coercion of third countries to cancel air rights, the first wave of support from the overseas community was initiated by the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) on April 23rd. FAPA, along with 33 overseas Taiwanese organizations globally, issued a statement condemning Beijing's manipulation of third-country flight permits as a tool for diplomatic coercion and bullying Taiwan.
FAPA's statement emphasized that Taiwan's 23 million people have the right to interact freely with the world according to their will, and Beijing has no right to interfere. In addition to strongly condemning Beijing's actions, the statement also called on the U.S. government and the international community to take action to assist in mediating with Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar to prompt them to promptly restore President Lai's special plane's flight permits and uphold Taiwan's right to interact with its allies.
The Filipino Taiwanese Association issued a statement on April 25th, warning from the perspective of regional security. The statement pointed out that Beijing's transformation of international airspace, which should be neutral and safe, into a tool for political coercion, is extremely similar to the pattern of intrusion the Philippines faces in the West Philippine Sea (the name the Philippines gives to parts of the South China Sea belonging to its exclusive economic zone).
The Filipino overseas community believes that if political pressure is allowed to determine airspace use, it will undermine international rules. The statement reminded all countries that if international airspace is used to isolate Taiwan today, it might also be used to restrict the freedom of navigation and trade routes of other countries in the future.
The All Japan Taiwanese Federation issued a statement today, severely protesting China's deviation from the conventions of flight safety and neutrality. The statement indicated that China's arbitrary restriction of airspace use for specific political purposes has seriously hampered Taiwan's legitimate external exchanges.
The All Japan Taiwanese Federation's statement put forward four demands, including condemning acts of coercion, supporting Taiwan's right to engage in diplomatic activities, appealing to all countries not to succumb to external pressure, and calling on the international community to respond with a clear stance to the undue suppression of Taiwan. (Editor: Lin Kenlun) 1150427
Choose to stand with facts; your sponsorship is the power that protects press freedom.
Download CNA's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Without authorization, the text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used.