TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China on Wednesday voiced support for Taiwan after President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) planned trip to Eswatini was blocked.
IPAC, which includes more than 300 lawmakers worldwide, said the incident shows China’s relentless attempts to isolate Taiwan, per CNA. “Each country has the right to independently decide its foreign policy, and Beijing has no right to interfere,” the group added.
Lai had been scheduled to depart Tuesday for Eswatini, but Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked overflight permits for his aircraft, forcing the trip to be postponed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the move followed pressure from Beijing.
The ministry thanked IPAC and other like-minded partners for their support. It called on democratic countries to condemn China’s use of political means to interfere in international civil aviation and legitimate diplomatic exchanges.
Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said Tuesday that China’s actions challenge the rules-based international order by politicizing civil aviation. Lai also said in a Facebook post that such pressure “constitutes suppression of Taiwan.”
