EU, U.S. lawmakers express concern after Lai's Africa visit postponed

Brussels, April 21 (CNA) The European Union has raised concerns over overflight rights after President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) planned visit to Eswatini was postponed when three African nations denied overflight clearance for his charter at the last minute.

"Overflight rights are a cornerstone of international civil aviation, and predictability and neutrality in airspace management are critical to safety, commerce, and diplomacy," an EU spokesperson told CNA in an email Tuesday.

"While states exercise sovereignty over their airspace, such decisions should be taken in a transparent and predictable manner, with the primary consideration being aviation safety and operational stability," the unnamed spokesperson said.

"Such decisions should not be taken to achieve political objectives," the EU said, without elaborating.

• Lai's Eswatini visit suspended due to China pressure: Presidential Office

The EU statement came after CNA asked for comment on the suspension of Lai's planned visit to Eswatini, Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Africa, less than a day before he was scheduled to depart on the five-day trip.

Taiwan's Presidential Office said the move was made due to "economic coercion" by China against Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar -- countries along the flight path of Lai's charter -- forcing them to rescind overflight permission.

Seychelles' foreign affairs ministry told Reuters that it made the decision "in line with the government's longstanding policy of not recognizing Taiwan's sovereignty."

A Madagascar foreign ministry official gave the same reason to Reuters.

"Malagasy diplomacy recognizes only one China. The decision was made in full respect of Madagascar's sovereignty over its airspace," Reuters quoted the unnamed official as saying.

Meanwhile, Eswatini's government said in a statement that it found it regrettable that Lai was unable to visit, but that it "does not change the status of our longstanding bilateral relations," according to an Associated Press report.

Also Tuesday, United States lawmakers and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a global alliance of nearly 300 lawmakers from more than 40 countries, condemned Beijing's alleged pressure on the three African states.

"Yet again, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is trying to bully Taiwan, a close partner of the United States. We stand with Taiwan against this blatant coercion," the Republican majority of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The House Select Committee on the CCP said in a post on X that it condemned "China's efforts to block travel by Taiwan President Lai Ching-te by pressuring other nations to deny overflight clearance."

"This is not diplomacy; it is economic pressure aimed at isolating a democratic partner. The United States stands with Taiwan and supports its right to engage freely with the international community," the post said.

In a statement in both Chinese and English, the IPAC said China's coordinated coercion of African nations "reveals a relentless drive to isolate Taiwan, now extending to an attempt to control the skies."

"IPAC stands with President Lai and the people of Taiwan. Like all democratic world leaders, President Lai must be free to engage with partners without interference.

"It is not for Beijing to determine the foreign policy of other countries," it said.