Important Ceremonies Re-enacted: King of Eswatini Extends High-Level Welcome to President Lai
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's visit to Eswatini saw King Mswati III re-enact important ceremonies that Lai had previously missed due to a flight permit cancellation, extending a high-level welcome. This gesture underscores the strong diplomatic ties between the two nations.
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- 📰 Published: May 5, 2026 at 19:51
- 🔍 Collected: May 5, 2026 at 20:01 (10 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 5, 2026 at 20:46 (44 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Yeh Su-ping, Taipei, May 5th) President Lai Ching-te was originally scheduled to visit Eswatini on April 22nd, but due to the cancellation of flight permits, he was unable to attend important celebrations such as King Mswati III's birthday, the 40th anniversary of his ascension, and the opening of the international conference center. Relevant sources stated today that the King of Eswatini expressed regret over this. When President Lai's visit was re-initiated on May 2nd and he arrived in Eswatini, the King "re-enacted" the important ceremonies and celebratory events with the highest protocol to welcome the Taiwanese delegation.
President Lai Ching-te returned to Taiwan this morning after a 4-day, 3-night state visit to Eswatini. The round-trip flight time lasted 30 hours. Upon his return to Taiwan, President Lai immediately proceeded to the Presidential Office to meet with an Israeli delegation at 2 PM.
The Taiwanese delegation attended King Mswati III's state banquet on the evening of May 3rd, local time. Relevant sources indicated that the King told the Taiwanese delegation that he deeply regretted President Lai's inability to attend the important celebrations due to the previous flight permit cancellation. Therefore, he insisted on "re-enacting" the important ceremonies and celebratory events after President Lai's arrival, extending the highest protocol welcome to the Taiwanese delegation. He also specially arranged a military honor guard welcome, traditional welcoming dances, a welcoming dinner, and a state banquet, and personally guided the tour of the newly completed international conference center.
Notably, the King also re-invited the international performing arts group, which had originally participated in the opening ceremony of the international conference center, from South Africa back to Eswatini for a performance. President Lai, along with members of the Eswatini royal family and cabinet officials, attended the theater cultural performance and later enjoyed a fireworks display from the rooftop, demonstrating the utmost hospitality.
Relevant sources stated that national celebratory ceremonies are highly symbolic and are not easily repeated. However, the King of Eswatini re-arranged these events for the Taiwanese delegation, which is a concrete way of telling the international community that Taiwan is an important and cherished friend of Eswatini, and that the relationship between the two countries will not be shaken by any external pressure.
One delegation member mentioned that in addition to the state banquet, Eswatini also arranged a welcoming dinner on President Lai's first day of arrival, featuring an African jungle theme and a warm, lively atmosphere. During the dinner, Eswatini's Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla shared with the princesses that she had been dispatched by the King on a special plane to Taiwan to invite President Lai. As this special plane had never been used for missions outside the royal family since its activation, this unprecedented move became a topic of conversation during the dinner.
The delegation member shared that there were many warm interactions during the visit. For example, when President Lai delivered his speech at the state banquet, he once again thanked them for their warm hospitality, and both the King and the Queen Mother promised to visit Taiwan again in the future. The Queen Mother specifically mentioned that her last visit to Taiwan was 10 years ago, and she has always regarded Taiwan as her "second home." This time, she felt the longing from her homeland, and therefore promised to visit Taiwan again if the opportunity arises.
The delegation member concluded that whether it was the sincere interactions where they regarded each other as family, or the King's "re-enactment" of the ceremonies to make up for the missed celebrations, it allowed the world to see that true diplomatic friendship does not shrink under pressure, but rather becomes stronger after trials. (Edited by Hsieh Chia-chen) 1150505
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(Central News Agency reporter Yeh Su-ping, Taipei, May 5th) President Lai Ching-te was originally scheduled to visit Eswatini on April 22nd, but due to the cancellation of flight permits, he was unable to attend important celebrations such as King Mswati III's birthday, the 40th anniversary of his ascension, and the opening of the international conference center. Relevant sources stated today that the King of Eswatini expressed regret over this. When President Lai's visit was re-initiated on May 2nd and he arrived in Eswatini, the King "re-enacted" the important ceremonies and celebratory events with the highest protocol to welcome the Taiwanese delegation.
President Lai Ching-te returned to Taiwan this morning after a 4-day, 3-night state visit to Eswatini. The round-trip flight time lasted 30 hours. Upon his return to Taiwan, President Lai immediately proceeded to the Presidential Office to meet with an Israeli delegation at 2 PM.
The Taiwanese delegation attended King Mswati III's state banquet on the evening of May 3rd, local time. Relevant sources indicated that the King told the Taiwanese delegation that he deeply regretted President Lai's inability to attend the important celebrations due to the previous flight permit cancellation. Therefore, he insisted on "re-enacting" the important ceremonies and celebratory events after President Lai's arrival, extending the highest protocol welcome to the Taiwanese delegation. He also specially arranged a military honor guard welcome, traditional welcoming dances, a welcoming dinner, and a state banquet, and personally guided the tour of the newly completed international conference center.
Notably, the King also re-invited the international performing arts group, which had originally participated in the opening ceremony of the international conference center, from South Africa back to Eswatini for a performance. President Lai, along with members of the Eswatini royal family and cabinet officials, attended the theater cultural performance and later enjoyed a fireworks display from the rooftop, demonstrating the utmost hospitality.
Relevant sources stated that national celebratory ceremonies are highly symbolic and are not easily repeated. However, the King of Eswatini re-arranged these events for the Taiwanese delegation, which is a concrete way of telling the international community that Taiwan is an important and cherished friend of Eswatini, and that the relationship between the two countries will not be shaken by any external pressure.
One delegation member mentioned that in addition to the state banquet, Eswatini also arranged a welcoming dinner on President Lai's first day of arrival, featuring an African jungle theme and a warm, lively atmosphere. During the dinner, Eswatini's Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla shared with the princesses that she had been dispatched by the King on a special plane to Taiwan to invite President Lai. As this special plane had never been used for missions outside the royal family since its activation, this unprecedented move became a topic of conversation during the dinner.
The delegation member shared that there were many warm interactions during the visit. For example, when President Lai delivered his speech at the state banquet, he once again thanked them for their warm hospitality, and both the King and the Queen Mother promised to visit Taiwan again in the future. The Queen Mother specifically mentioned that her last visit to Taiwan was 10 years ago, and she has always regarded Taiwan as her "second home." This time, she felt the longing from her homeland, and therefore promised to visit Taiwan again if the opportunity arises.
The delegation member concluded that whether it was the sincere interactions where they regarded each other as family, or the King's "re-enactment" of the ceremonies to make up for the missed celebrations, it allowed the world to see that true diplomatic friendship does not shrink under pressure, but rather becomes stronger after trials. (Edited by Hsieh Chia-chen) 1150505
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
Download CNA's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.