Taipei, April 26 -- Several European lawmakers have sharply criticised China after Taiwan President William Lai was forced to cancel a planned diplomatic trip to Eswatini, allegedly due to China's pressure on countries along his flight route, as reported by The Taipei Times.

According to The Taipei Times, the visit was abruptly called off just a day before departure when Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar withdrew previously granted overflight permissions. Taiwan's Presidential Office described the move as "economic coercion," suggesting Beijing had influenced the decision.

German MP Klaus-Peter Willsch warned that the incident signals a troubling expansion of China's geopolitical pressure into global aviation. He argued that denying ...