Beijing’s Blocking of Taiwan Leader’s Africa Trip Will Likely Backfire: Analysts

The cancellation is unprecedented, as no Taiwanese leader has ever scrapped an official visit because of overflight denials.

Taiwan's national flag is raised during an early morning ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan, on Dec. 30, 2025. Cheng Yu-chen/AFP via Getty Images

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s thwarted trip to Eswatini exposes Beijing’s campaign to squeeze Taipei’s dwindling diplomatic space, experts say, yet the move will likely draw greater global support for the democratic island.

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, who was dispatched by Lai as his special envoy, arrived in Eswatini on April 25 to attend the 40th anniversary of the accession and 58th birthday celebration of King Mswati III—Africa’s last absolute monarch.