Taiwan’s President William Lai arrived in eSwatini on Saturday—its sole remaining diplomatic ally in Africa—via a revised flight route after an earlier attempt was postponed when Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar cancelled overflight permissions amid alleged Chinese pressure. Beijing labelled the visit a political ‘stunt’.
In a Facebook post Saturday evening, Lai confirmed his earlier arrival, noting that his teams had secured an alternative path bypassing the prior obstacles.
“Hello to my fellow citizens. I arrived earlier today in our diplomatic ally eSwatini,” he wrote.
The visit seeks to bolster ties in economy, agriculture, culture, and education while thanking eSwatini for its support amid diplomatic pressures. The eSwatini government also confirmed the landing on its Facebook page.
