US condemns China after African nations block Taiwan leader's flight to eSwatini

The United States has criticized China following the revocation of overflight permissions for Taiwan's leader, William Lai Ching-te, by several African nations, which led to the cancellation of his scheduled visit to eSwatini, one of Taiwan's few remaining diplomatic partners. The Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar independently rescinded flight authorizations for Lai's plane to traverse their airspace, a first for a Taiwanese leader who had to abandon an entire overseas trip due to restricted air access. A spokesperson from the US State Department labeled the situation as a misuse of the international civil aviation framework, asserting that these nations acted under China's influence to disrupt standard travel for Taiwan's officials. This incident highlights an intensification of China's efforts to limit Taiwan's global interactions, with the US official accusing Beijing of conducting an intimidation campaign against Taiwan and its allies, jeopardizing global peace and prosperity.