Sumit Bothra | Research Scholar Defence and Strategic Studies, University of Madras |
Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te visited in Eswatini on Saturday, defying China’s pressure that forced several African nations to revoke overflight permissions and cancel his earlier trip planned for late April. President Lai met King Mswati III amid a military-style welcome, signing trade agreements to deepen economic, agricultural, cultural, and educational ties between the two nations, Taiwan’s sole diplomatic ally in Africa.
The historical tug-of-war between Beijing and Taipei has long been a game of diplomacy played out in various international fora. But this week, the rift took to the skies in a move that would alarm anyone concerned with international law and African sovereignty. The recent cancellation of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s state visit to Eswatini—Taiwan’s only ally in Africa— is a form of intimidation. By using pressure on Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar to deny overflight rights to the Taiwanese presidential aircraft, China has turned civil aviation into a tool of political coercion.
The official Chinese statement commended the Indian Ocean island nations for upholding the One China policy. A Taiwanese official has been reported as saying that these nations were given an ultimatum: shut their skies to President Lai and his entourage, or face the freezing of Belt and Road infrastructure projects and any talks of debt restructuring. Eswatini, a monarchy that has stood by Taiwan for nearly six decades, could interpret the Chinese action as a warning.
This marks a departure from standard diplomatic practice. Airspace rights are typically governed by technical safety considerations and international protocol. The predictability of global travel and the sanctity of international corridors will be jeopardized if powerful nations can decide who is allowed to fly over their airspace.
The Indian Perspective
The incident has drawn keen interest in India, which closely monitors activity in the Indian Ocean Region. India’s interest in Eswatini and the broader Southern African region is anchored in a partnership-based model of mutual cooperation and development.
India’s deepening engagement with the region was highlighted when Pabitra Margherita visited the Eswatini, Lesotho, and South Africa in July 2025. During the visit, India reaffirmed its commitment to Eswatini through various capacity-building initiatives. India views Eswatini as a vital partner in the Global South and maintains a strong diplomatic presence through the High Commission of India in Mbabane.
From India’s perspective, the use of overflight rights as a tool of coercion violates the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative. New Delhi has consistently championed a rules-based order, where freedom of navigation and overflight rights are treated as technical certainties.
The World Responds
The international community has been quick to respond. The United States has called this an abuse of international civil aviation. Critics from the UK and Japan have echoed concerns that the Indian Ocean—a vital artery for global trade—cannot become a zone of arbitrary exclusion.
China’s tactics may have succeeded in keeping President Lai away from Mbabane, but they have also exposed behavior that is less that of a “partner for development” and more that of a hegemon. This incident has alerted many smaller countries to the risks of economic dependency.
For the Indian Ocean to remain a zone of peace and prosperity, it must be free from arbitrary exclusion based on the dictates of a third power. Eswatini may be a small kingdom, but the principles being challenged here are fundamental to the global order.
[ Opinions expressed personal. ]
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