China's obstruction of Lai's trip aimed at reinforcing party lines: Scholars

Taipei, April 23 (CNA) China's reported role in blocking President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) planned visit to Eswatini this week was a reflection of its different approach to Taiwan's ruling and main opposition parties, Taiwanese scholars said Wednesday.

Lai was scheduled to depart on Wednesday for Eswatini, Taiwan's sole ally in Africa, but the trip was canceled after the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar abruptly rescinded overflight permissions for his chartered plane.

Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安), who announced the cancellation on Tuesday, said it resulted from China's "strong pressure," including "economic coercion" of the three African countries.

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The controversy arose less than two weeks after opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) visited China and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). At the conclusion of her six-day trip, Beijing announced on April 12 a set of 10 policy measures aimed at deepening ties with Taiwan in areas such as trade, fisheries and tourism.

Wang Hung-jen (王宏仁), a professor in the Department of Political Science at National Cheng Kung University, said that China's cross-strait advances and its efforts to block Lai's visit to Eswatini were all part of a broader plan to demonstrate its different approaches to the KMT and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

On one hand, China is using economic incentives to woo supporters of the main opposition KMT, swing voters, and those who favor a more China-friendly approach, Wang told CNA.

On the other hand, China is hoping to impose punishment on DPP supporters by making it clear that "a DPP president cannot simply go abroad," he said.

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Hung Yao-nan (洪耀南), deputy director of Tamkang University's Institute of China Studies, also agreed that China was using hard and soft tactics simultaneously.

Beijing's pressure on the three African countries this week also signaled its intention to reinforce its "one China" principle, which leaves no room for the existence of a president of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Hung said.

Over the years, Taiwan presidents have invariably faced pressure from China during overseas trips or transit stops, often in the form of diplomatic suppression or military drills, Hung noted.

In the latest controversy, it seemed that Beijing handled the matter in a way that gave Taiwan no time to respond, resulting in the rare cancellation of a presidential trip after it was publicly announced on April 13, he said.

China would take a hard-line approach and do all it could to obstruct a Taiwan president's travel, regardless of the destination, Wang added.

He suggested that Taiwan deal with such interference by making technical adjustments, such as delaying the publication of certain travel details, while maintaining transparency.