Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te on Tuesday said it was a basic right for countries to hold state visits, as he returned from his three-day trip to the African kingdom of Eswatini, which his government says China tried to block.
Mr Lai was supposed to travel to the country, one of Taiwan's 12 remaining diplomatic partners last month, but had to cancel the initial trip owing to Chinese pressure, Taiwan's government said.
China pressured three countries to revoke flight permits, denying Mr Lai transit through their airspace, Taiwan's government said. China did not confirm whether or not they had pressured the countries, but thanked them for their support for Beijing's one-China principle.
Undeterred, Mr Lai rescheduled the trip, arriving in Eswatini on 2 May, where he discussed cooperation on economic, agricultural, cultural and educational ties.
“Just like going out to visit friends, this is every country’s basic right,” he said upon his arrival back in Taiwan on Tuesday. “This trip, which was subject to obstruction, actually let the world see the Taiwanese public’s determination and will to be a part of the world.”
"The world belongs to everyone. Taiwan belongs to the world. Taiwanese people are citizens of the world. Taiwanese people have the right to engage with the world. We will not retreat in the face of suppression," Mr Lai said upon arrival at Taiwan's main international airport at Taoyuan, outside of Taipei.
The Taiwanese leader arrived in Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, on Saturday in a discreet trip which neither government had announced in advance, owing to China’s anger at Taipei's diplomatic engagement abroad.
Mr Lai used the Eswatini king’s private A340 which was previously operated by Taiwan’s China Airlines. On its way out on Monday, Mr Lai’s plane took a longer route over the bottom part of the Indian Ocean and avoided the flight information regions of Mauritius and Madagascar, both south Asian nations with deep ties with Beijing.
The aircraft flew over Australia’s Christmas Island, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, before entering Taiwan air space for arrival into Taoyuan, according to flight tracking apps.
Mr Lai was accompanied on his flight by Eswatini deputy prime minister Thulisile Dladla, whom he said had ensured he and his delegation travelled safely to and from Eswatini.
China claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, to be retaken by force if necessary, and prohibits countries it has diplomatic relations with from maintaining formal ties with Taipei.
It opposes and condemns any diplomatic engagement Taiwan holds with nations with any signs of recognition or normalisation of ties with the self-governed island.
The mainland also brands Mr Lai as a “separatist” and the island “merely a Chinese province with no right to the trappings of a state”.
Last week, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Mr Lai had “skulked” his way to Eswatini.
"Lai Ching-te's despicable conduct – like a rat scurrying across the street – will inevitably be met with ridicule by the international community," a spokesperson said in a statement.
However, democratically-elected Mr Lai rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and maintains that Taiwan has a right to engage with the world.
There was no immediate response from China on the statement from Mr Lai on Tuesday.
The diplomatic visit was also approved by the US Department of State who said that Taiwan is a “trusted and capable” partner of the US and Taipei’s global relationships, including with Eswatini, provide significant benefits.
In practice, Taiwan is self-ruled. However, it faces increasing pressure from China on all fronts. China's military sends fighter jets and navy vessels towards Taiwan on a near-daily basis, while also pressuring countries to cut their diplomatic relations with the island through a mixture of economic incentives and pressure.
Over the weekend, organisers of a human rights conference in Zambia canceled the event after China pressured the host country to exclude Taiwanese activists.
Mr Lai took a moment to thank the deputy prime minister of Eswatini, Thulisile Dladla, who had accompanied them on the trip, for her role in ensuring "a smooth round trip” for everyone. Ms Dladla had traveled to Taiwan at the end of April.
“Taiwan’s actions shows that the real display of power of a country isn’t in having others submit to you, but to bring prosperity to everyone,” he added.
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