Taipei, April 24 -- The United States and Japan have raised strong objections after three African nations abruptly withdrew overflight permissions for Taiwanese President William Lai's planned trip to Eswatini, a move widely seen as influenced by China, as reported by The Taipei Times.

According to The Taipei Times, Lai was scheduled to travel from Wednesday to Sunday to Taiwan's sole African ally, Eswatini, where he was to attend celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III's rule and his 58th birthday.

However, Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly rescinded clearance for the chartered flight to pass through their airspace, forcing a disruption to the trip. Reacting sharply, the US Department of State described...