Two developments this week, one in Europe and one in Africa, demonstrate that the anti-China effort to foster Taiwan independence against China is facing opposition internationally.
The Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has refused to allow the head of the Senate to travel to Taiwan on a government plane. “The Czech government will not make a government plane available for the Senate chief’s planned trip to Taiwan region and wants a more pragmatic foreign policy that does not damage business ties with China, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said,” Reuters reported.
In South Africa, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te was planning to visit Eswatini (former Swaziland, a small country within South Africa) which is one of only twelve countries which recognize Taiwan rather than Beijing.
His trip was cancelled, however, when the three African countries through which Lai’s plane would need to cross, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar, refused to grant overflight permits. Seychelles’ foreign affairs ministry said that the Lai’s plane had not been granted clearance for overflight or landing, in line with the government’s longstanding policy regarding Taiwan question, according to a report from Reuters on Tuesday. A Madagascar foreign ministry official also confirmed having denied an overflight request. “Malagasy diplomacy recognizes only one China,” the official said.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the news: “China highly commends relevant countries’ commitment to the one-China principle which is fully consistent with international law and basic norms governing international relations. It’s very clear that there’s no longer a so-called ‘ROC president’ in the world anymore.”
