China praises overflight blocks on Taiwan leader trip

China said Wednesday it “highly appreciated” actions by Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar after the three countries denied overflight permission for a plane carrying Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, a move that led him to cancel a planned visit to Eswatini. Lai had been scheduled to travel to Eswatini from April 22-26, but the trip was shelved after the flight permits were unexpectedly withdrawn, according to a Taiwanese official who said the decision followed “strong pressure from the Chinese authorities, including economic coercion.”

Beijing rejected the claim that it used economic pressure to stop the trip. ” In the same statement, the ministry said “no one can stop the historical trend of China’s eventual reunification,” referring to Beijing’s position that self-governed Taiwan is part of its territory and should not maintain diplomatic relations with other countries.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office also commented separately. A spokesperson told reporters, “A just cause enjoys abundant support, while an unjust cause finds little support,” citing the ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius.

Seychelles and Madagascar said they made their decisions because they do not recognize Taiwan. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry responded Wednesday by describing the countries’ stance as being “in servitude of China.” Referring to Taiwan by its formal name, the ministry said “The Republic of China is a sovereign state with the right to engage with the world — a right that cannot be denied, and that no country has the standing to obstruct.”

Eswatini, a small southern African kingdom formerly known as Swaziland, is Taiwan’s only remaining ally on the African continent and is one of just 12 countries with diplomatic ties to Taiwan. A spokesperson for the Eswatini government said it “regrets” that Lai did not visit, while emphasizing that the setback “does not change the status of our longstanding bilateral relations.”

The episode unfolded after Taiwan’s opposition leader Cheng Li-wun, who leads the Kuomintang (KMT), met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The KMT, which often clashes with Lai’s government, urged China to show restraint and allow Taiwan diplomatic space. Senior KMT lawmaker Lai Shyh-bao told reporters in Taipei that mainland China’s pressure “is not clever,” particularly after the Cheng-Xi meeting.

In the United States, several lawmakers also reacted. The US House Select Committee on China wrote on X that “This is not diplomacy; it is economic pressure aimed at isolating a democratic partner.” Key uncertainties remain around the specific process that led to the permit withdrawals and the competing claims about whether external pressure played a role.