Taiwan Accuses Beijing of Airspace Blockade for Presidential Africa Trip
Taiwanese officials reported on April 27, 2026, that President Lai Ching-te's planned visit to Eswatini was postponed after Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked overflight permissions. Taipei alleged that China used economic coercion to pressure the three African nations into closing their airspace to the presidential aircraft. The move was criticized by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) as a 'weaponization of aviation safety' aimed at isolating Taiwan from its remaining diplomatic allies.