Taiwan’s William Lai lands in eSwatini on trip Beijing calls a political ‘stunt’

Beijing has labelled Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s surprise visit to eSwatini, the island’s sole African ally, a political “stunt”.
In a Facebook post on Saturday…

In a Facebook post on Saturday evening, Lai said he arrived earlier in the day. The eSwatini government also confirmed his arrival on its own Facebook page.

“Hello to my fellow citizens. I arrived earlier today in our diplomatic ally eSwatini,” Lai wrote, adding that his foreign affairs and security teams had spent days securing a revised route that allowed the delegation to reach the southern African kingdom.

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He said the visit aimed to deepen cooperation in areas including the economy, agriculture, culture and education, and to strengthen bilateral ties and Taiwan’s broader international partnerships.

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Lai also thanked eSwatini for supporting Taiwan despite what he said was diplomatic and economic pressure.