Taiwan president cancels trip after African countries close airspace

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has cancelled a presidential trip to the African nation of Eswatini, accusing Beijing of putting pressure on its neighbours to bar his aircraft from flying over their territories. Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked Lai's overflight permits after intense pressure and economic coercion from China, said a Taiwan official. China denied coercion, while praising the three African countries saying it had high appreciation for them. This is the first publicly known instance where a Taiwanese leader has had to cancel a foreign trip due to revoked flight permits. Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Africa.