China’s Taiwan Affairs Office on Saturday criticised President Lai Ching‑te for a covert trip to Eswatini, describing his actions as “a rat crossing the street.” The comment came after Lai boarded an Eswatini‑government aircraft and made an unannounced state visit to the southern African kingdom, one of the few countries that still maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taipei.
The visit was originally planned for late April, but was postponed when the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar withdrew over‑flight permits for Lai’s chartered plane. Taipei said the revocations were the result of pressure from Beijing. Undeterred, Lai travelled to Eswatini on a government‑provided aircraft, arriving in the landlocked nation of fewer than 1.3 million people – the only remaining African state that recognises Taiwan as a sovereign entity.
In its statement, the Taiwan Affairs Office called Lai a “troublemaker” and accused him of abandoning Taiwanese citizens in the aftermath of a major earthquake to pursue the trip. “Lai Ching‑te’s despicable actions, like a rat crossing the street, will inevitably be ridiculed by the international community,” the office said. It added that Lai’s “diplomatic achievements” were “nothing but trickery and a laughing stock,” and warned that his “disregard for the safety of the people” would be rejected by most Taiwanese.
Lai responded on the social‑media platform X, asserting that Taiwan “will never be deterred by external pressures” and that the island “will continue to engage with the world – no matter the challenges faced.” Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council dismissed Beijing’s remarks as “fishwife’s gutter talk,” calling them “boring in the extreme.”
The episode highlights the ongoing tension between Beijing’s one‑China principle and the handful of countries that still recognize Taiwan diplomatically. China maintains that Taiwan is part of its sovereign territory and, while it claims to prefer peaceful reunification, it has not ruled out the use of force. Taiwan, for its part, continues to seek formal ties and participation in international organisations despite diplomatic isolation.
Eswatini’s decision to host Lai underscores the limited but strategically significant network of Taiwan’s allies in Africa. The visit and the ensuing diplomatic row are likely to reinforce Beijing’s resolve to pressure remaining partners of Taipei, while Taiwan may view the engagement as a validation of its independent foreign policy. The situation remains a focal point in cross‑strait relations and broader geopolitical competition in the region.
