Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te successfully touched down in the African nation of Eswatini on Saturday, following his administration’s accusations that China interfered with his original travel plans.
The Taiwanese leader shared news of his arrival through a Facebook post, without having previously disclosed his second attempt to make the journey. Last month, his government claimed that Chinese pressure led three African nations to deny overflight permissions for his presidential plane.
“Although we are a few days late, the people of Eswatini have still given us the warmest and most enthusiastic welcome,” Lai wrote in his social media update.
According to Taiwan’s government, the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar withdrew flight clearances for the presidential aircraft to travel through their controlled airspace during the originally scheduled visit to Eswatini, which represents one of Taiwan’s dozen remaining diplomatic partners worldwide.
“Eswatini has stood firm against various diplomatic and economic pressures, speaking out for Taiwan’s international place through concrete actions,” Lai stated in his post.
