Taiwan leader visits Eswatini despite China’s attempts to block trip
Key takeaways
- President William Lai Ching-te says he met King Mswati III and signed trade agreements.
- He said he was greeted with a “military-style welcoming ceremony”.
- The trip was originally scheduled for late April, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar cancelled flight permits for his charter plane without notice.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
President William Lai Ching-te says he met King Mswati III and signed trade agreements.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Taiwan President William Lai Ching-te meets with Eswatini's King Mswati III at Mandvulo Grand Hall near Manzini, Eswatini, on May 2, 2026 [Handout/Taiwan Presidential Office via Reuters]By Danai Nesta Kupemba Published On 3 May 20263 May 2026Taiwan President William Lai Ching-te says his government will never give up on engaging with the world as he visited Eswatini despite China’s efforts to block the trip.
Lai arrived in Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, on Saturday after “meticulous arrangements made by our diplomatic and national security teams”, he said in a Facebook post, although it is unclear how he arrived in the kingdom.