Three African countries revoked overflight permits for Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te’s planned visit to Eswatini, demonstrating that the one-China principle remains a widely recognized consensus within the international community, a Chinese mainland spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, stated at a regular press conference that the Chinese mainland appreciates the position and actions of relevant countries in upholding the one-China principle.
“It once again proves that the one-China principle is a basic norm of international relations and a widely recognized consensus of the international community,” Zhang said, adding that it reflects “the prevailing trend, the greater good, and the will of the people”.
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Lai had planned to visit Eswatini from Wednesday to Sunday. Eswatini is the only African country that maintains “diplomatic ties” with Taiwan. On Tuesday, Lai’s office announced that Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar had revoked overflight permits for his aircraft, leading to the cancellation of the trip.
Responding to accusations by the Democratic Progressive Party authorities that “the mainland exerted pressure on the countries concerned”, Zhang said such claims are baseless and constitute rumor-mongering.