image sourced from original article at Taiwan President Lai Ching-te made a surprise visit to Eswatini, where he met King Mswati the Third and declared that Taiwan has the right to engage with the world. Lai said the 23 million people of Taiwan should not be prevented from contributing internationally, emphasizing that Taiwan is a sovereign nation. Eswatini is one of only 12 countries that maintains formal diplomatic ties with Taipei.
The visit was kept secret until after Lai’s arrival, a move Taiwanese officials said was intended to reduce the risk of interference. Last month, Taiwan said China pressured three Indian Ocean nations to deny overflight access to Lai’s plane, complicating earlier travel plans and drawing criticism from the United States and concern from the European Union and several European countries.
China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory and opposes any state-to-state engagement with the island, strongly condemned the trip. A spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office described Lai in derogatory terms, while Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council responded that he did not require Beijing’s permission to travel abroad.
