Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has sharply criticised Beijing after Chinese officials publicly questioned the existence of the Republic of China (ROC) presidency, following the abrupt cancellation of President William Lai’s planned Africa trip, local media reported.
Lai had been scheduled to visit Eswatini—Taiwan’s only diplomatic partner on the African continent—this week, but the visit was called off after Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar withdrew overflight clearances for his chartered plane at short notice. Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an said the sudden denials were the result of “intense pressure” from China and described the moves as economic coercion directed at the three countries.
The incident has renewed worries in Taipei about Beijing’s expanding sway over smaller states and their willingness to bow to diplomatic pressure. At a press briefing, MAC Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh accused officials from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office and foreign ministry of using language that effectively erased the ROC’s international status and denied the island’s head of state. Liang said such rhetoric was intended to undermine Taiwan’s political identity abroad.
Chinese authorities reiterated the “One China” principle, with a Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson saying there is “only one China” and a foreign ministry statement asserting that the ROC presidency “no longer exists.” Taiwan has firmly rejected those claims, maintaining that the ROC is a sovereign state with a democratically elected government.
Beijing’s position is based on historical, political and legal arguments that view Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China, a stance reflected in Chinese law and official statements. Taipei, however, continues to push back against attempts to marginalise its status on the world stage, framing the withdrawal of overflight permissions as part of a broader pattern of coercive diplomacy.
The episode underscores ongoing tensions across the Taiwan Strait and highlights how diplomatic access and aviation clearances can be used as levers in geopolitical disputes.
