Introduction.
China has rejected US accusations that it pressured African countries to deny overflight rights to a planned trip by Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, insisting that its actions are lawful and consistent with the “One China” principle. The dispute escalated after Taiwan reported that Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar abruptly revoked previously approved overflight permissions, forcing the postponement of Lai’s visit to Eswatini, Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in Africa. While the United States expressed concern that the withdrawals reflected Chinese diplomatic pressure, Taipei strongly rejected claims that permits were never issued, calling such reports “rumor mongering” and insisting that all applications had been properly processed and approved before being rescinded under external pressure. China, however, maintained that countries acted appropriately in line with its sovereignty stance on Taiwan. The episode underscores how overflight permissions are increasingly becoming instruments of geopolitical influence, highlighting the vulnerability of African airspace decisions to wider great-power competition and diplomatic pressure.
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