The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned China April 22 for coercion that resulted in the governments of Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoking overflight permits for President Lai Ching-te en route to the Kingdom of Eswatini.
The ministry’s response came following a press event the day before at the Presidential Office, where Secretary General Pang Meng-an announced the postponement of the president’s April 22-26 state visit. The PO adamantly denounced Beijing’s behavior, saying that it hurt the Taiwanese people. A special envoy will visit the African ally on behalf of the president, the PO added.
According to the MOFA, the foreign ministries of Seychelles and Madagascar denied Taiwan’s sovereignty and cited the so-called “one China policy” as their respective reasons for the abrupt decisions, which exposes China as the obvious culprit behind the underhand political maneuvering.
Beijing’s blatant interference in international civil aviation routes and attempts to politicalize and weaponize flight information zones are condemned by the MOFA in the strongest terms. The compliance by the two African nations in response to China’s false narrative is vigorously protested by the ministry.
The MOFA called on the international community to clearly recognize China’s long-term use of economic coercion to interfere with other countries’ internal affairs and challenge international peace and order.
The ROC (Taiwan) is a sovereign country whose rights to engage with the world will not be denied or deterred by any other country, the ministry said. It also thanked Eswatini and other like-minded partners for offering assistance to mediate on the issue.
In a tweet on his personal X account, Lai said China’s coercion undermines the status quo and exposed the risks authoritarian regimes pose to the international order. Taiwan’s resolve to contribute to the international community will not be diminished by threats or coercion, he added.
The Mainland Affairs Council also issued a statement April 21 denouncing Beijing for sabotaging the president’s visit. Such attempts to belittle Taiwan will not affect its determination to engage with the world, the MAC added. (SFC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
The ministry’s response came following a press event the day before at the Presidential Office, where Secretary General Pang Meng-an announced the postponement of the president’s April 22-26 state visit. The PO adamantly denounced Beijing’s behavior, saying that it hurt the Taiwanese people. A special envoy will visit the African ally on behalf of the president, the PO added.
According to the MOFA, the foreign ministries of Seychelles and Madagascar denied Taiwan’s sovereignty and cited the so-called “one China policy” as their respective reasons for the abrupt decisions, which exposes China as the obvious culprit behind the underhand political maneuvering.
Beijing’s blatant interference in international civil aviation routes and attempts to politicalize and weaponize flight information zones are condemned by the MOFA in the strongest terms. The compliance by the two African nations in response to China’s false narrative is vigorously protested by the ministry.
The MOFA called on the international community to clearly recognize China’s long-term use of economic coercion to interfere with other countries’ internal affairs and challenge international peace and order.
The ROC (Taiwan) is a sovereign country whose rights to engage with the world will not be denied or deterred by any other country, the ministry said. It also thanked Eswatini and other like-minded partners for offering assistance to mediate on the issue.
In a tweet on his personal X account, Lai said China’s coercion undermines the status quo and exposed the risks authoritarian regimes pose to the international order. Taiwan’s resolve to contribute to the international community will not be diminished by threats or coercion, he added.
The Mainland Affairs Council also issued a statement April 21 denouncing Beijing for sabotaging the president’s visit. Such attempts to belittle Taiwan will not affect its determination to engage with the world, the MAC added. (SFC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
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