Taiwan President William Lai condemned China's use of authoritarian coercion after Beijing blocked his planned diplomatic visit to Eswatini in June 2024 [1].
The incident highlights the ongoing struggle for Taiwan to maintain formal diplomatic ties as China leverages economic and political pressure to isolate the island internationally.
Speaking via video address at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit in Denmark, Lai said that China's authoritarian coercion is an attempt to impose its own rules on the world and disregard international norms [1]. The president urged democratic allies to resist such pressure, framing the cancelled trip as part of a broader strategy by authoritarian regimes to undermine global standards [1].
The planned visit to Eswatini, one of Taiwan's few remaining diplomatic allies, was cancelled shortly before the scheduled departure. Lai said that China used diplomatic and economic intimidation to force Eswatini to block the trip [1, 3].
European lawmakers reacted to the news by criticizing Beijing's tactics. Anna Cavazzini, a member of the European Parliament, said that China's intimidation of Taiwan is unacceptable and undermines the principles of a free and open Indo-Pacific [2].
Taiwan's government indicated that it would not be deterred by these tactics. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said that Taiwan will continue to strengthen diplomatic ties despite China's pressure and thanked democratic partners for their support [3].
The summit in Copenhagen served as a platform for Lai to bring international attention to the constraints placed on Taiwan's mobility and diplomatic reach. He said that the ability of a sovereign entity to conduct diplomacy should not be dictated by the threats of a third party [1].
“China's authoritarian coercion is an attempt to impose its own rules on the world and disregard international norms.”
This incident underscores the precarious nature of Taiwan's formal diplomatic relations. By successfully pressuring Eswatini to cancel a presidential visit, China demonstrates its ability to weaponize economic ties to limit Taiwan's international legitimacy. The reaction from European lawmakers suggests that while Taiwan lacks broad formal recognition, it is successfully building a network of informal political support among Western democracies to counter Beijing's influence.
