Good Morning World: President Lai Returns to Taiwan After Visiting Eswatini: Taiwanese People Have the Right to Go Global

Central News Agency

President Lai Ching-te concluded his visit to ally Eswatini and returned to Taoyuan Airport on the morning of the 5th, where he delivered a speech stating that the world belongs to everyone, Taiwan belongs to the world, and Taiwanese people are global citizens with the right to go global, and will not retreat due to suppression. This presidential trip's return flight adopted a 'southern route breakthrough,' completing an extreme single-direction journey of approximately 13,000 kilometers, with a round trip totaling about 25,000 kilometers. Scholars from the Institute for National Defense and Security Research and the National Policy Foundation analyzed that this collaboration with an allied special plane, combined with a 'public announcement after arrival' model, achieved a highly difficult diplomatic breakthrough, demonstrating Taiwan's strategic resilience and logistical capabilities in response to Beijing's pressure. National security officials revealed that even before the announcement of 'postponing' the visit, the national security team had a pre-planned scenario for 'Beijing pressuring transit countries to cancel flight permits'; and after President Lai arrived in Eswatini on May 2nd, Chinese authorities still did not give up various diplomatic means to obstruct President Lai's return journey. (See full report)

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 major celebrations such as the King of Eswatini's birthday, the 40th anniversary of his enthronement, and the opening of the international convention center as planned. Relevant sources stated that the King expressed considerable regret over this, and therefore insisted on holding another important ceremony and celebration after President Lai's arrival, welcoming the Taiwanese delegation with the highest protocol, including a special military welcome, traditional welcoming dances, a welcome dinner, and a state banquet, with the King personally guiding a tour of the newly completed international convention center. Relevant sources said that national ceremonial events are highly symbolic and not easily repeated, but the King's rearrangement of related activities for the Taiwanese delegation is a concrete way of telling the international community that Taiwan is an important and cherished friend of Eswatini, and the relationship between the two countries will not be shaken by any external pressure. (See full report)

Formosa Plastics Marine Corp's super-large crude oil tanker, the 'Jun Shan,' loaded with 2 million barrels of crude oil, successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz in mid-April and is expected to arrive at Mailiao Port in Yunlin County on May 6th. Formosa Petrochemical Corp received a timely supply of raw materials, and its diversified procurement strategy proved effective. Formosa Petrochemical's internal plans indicate that its refinery operating rate will increase from 43% in April to over 60% in May, and further to 80% in June. However, Formosa Petrochemical General Manager Lin Ke-yen also stated that if the Iran war continues, the global crude oil market will face long-term supply shortages, and the problem of raw material scarcity will still emerge. (See full report)

The winners of the 2026 Pulitzer Prizes, the highest honor in American journalism, were announced on the 4th. The Associated Press, after three years of reviewing extensive documents and conducting multiple interviews, won the International Reporting award for uncovering how American tech companies assisted China in building systems to monitor its citizens; The Washington Post received the Public Service award for its in-depth examination of the Trump administration's massive cuts and reforms to federal agencies; The New York Times won three awards, including the Investigative Reporting award for its work revealing how Trump broke conflict-of-interest limits and used opportunities brought by power to enrich his family and allies. Other winners included well-known media outlets such as Reuters and Bloomberg. (See full report)

The New York Times reported that while Taiwan and Ukraine do not have formal diplomatic or military ties, an informal network of cooperation led by defense companies and citizens is emerging, fostering increased exchanges between Taiwan and Ukraine in defense technology, experience, resources, and supply chains, particularly in drones. Taiwan has become a 'transshipment hub for Chinese parts' for Ukrainian drone manufacturers; even as China, which supports Russia, tightens controls on direct exports to Ukraine, some parts can still be obtained through Taiwan. In Taiwan, international defense contractors promote drone models tested on the Ukrainian battlefield to the national military, and have even asked Ukrainian engineers to design specific models according to Taiwanese requirements. (See full report)

A senior official in the US President Trump administration told Reuters that China is slowing down the repatriation of Chinese citizens illegally staying in the US. The official warned that if Beijing does not change its approach, Washington is prepared to strengthen travel restrictions on Chinese citizens. The report pointed out that this new US threat to China comes on the eve of Trump's scheduled visit to Beijing on the 14th and 15th, where he is expected to raise issues including immigration repatriation with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Additionally, US Treasury Secretary Besant urged China on the 4th to increase diplomatic pressure to persuade Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. He also stated that US and Chinese leaders will discuss this issue at next week's summit. (See full report)

Rat infestation on the streets of Taipei has sparked public complaints. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an announced a second large-scale cleanup across 12 districts, where households can apply for assistance from rat detection specialists, and market cleaning will be strengthened. Construction sites undergoing urban renewal must submit rat control reports during the commencement and construction periods. Regarding public concerns about infectious diseases caused by rats, Lo Yi-chun, Director-General of the Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, explained that there have been 2 cases of Hantavirus in Taiwan from January to April this year, which is not higher than the same period in previous years, so the public does not need to panic excessively. The CDC explained that the most effective way to prevent Hantavirus syndrome is rat control: sealing holes or gaps in living environments to prevent rats from entering and nesting. If there are signs of rats in the environment, wear masks, plastic gloves, and plastic shoe covers when cleaning, spray contaminated areas with a disinfectant solution made by diluting commercial bleach 1:9, clean after 5 minutes, and remember to thoroughly wash hands with soap after work. (See full report)

Aierli Clinic's Banqiao branch in New Taipei was recently found to have a pinhole camera hidden inside a smoke detector. Prosecutors and police expanded their search to several other Aierli branches, reviewing surveillance footage to check for other victims. The case is being investigated for offenses such as obstructing sexual privacy. The Taipei City Department of Health, consumer protection officers, and police also conducted unannounced joint inspections at four Taipei branches. No disguised pinhole cameras or illegal activities were found at the four Taipei branches. The Aierli Group issued a statement saying it would fully cooperate with the investigation and would provide a detailed explanation to the public once the case reaches a certain stage to address public concerns. (See full report)