Taiwan President Lai Ching-te was forced to cancel a scheduled visit to Eswatini this week after Mauritius, the Seychelles, and Madagascar revoked Lai’s flight permits. Authorities in Taipei immediately accused Beijing of using economic coercion against these three countries, a narrative that was quickly picked up by the international media and conservative lawmakers in the U.S.
There is no evidence supporting the claim of coercion or the reported threat that China would impose economic sanctions or revoke debt relief against these three countries. In fact, none of the African countries involved is in any kind of debt distress to China.
Eric, Géraud, and Cobus discuss why it was likely the exercise of African agency, rather than any pressure from China, that prompted the decision to close off their airspace to Lai’s plane.
📌 Topics Covered in This Episode
Why Taiwan’s Africa trip was suddenly canceled
Claims of Chinese “economic coercion” examined
The reality of African countries’ debt exposure to China
How US media and policymakers framed the story
Why African states had little incentive to say yes
The role of China’s red lines in global diplomacy
How narratives diverge from facts in global coverage
What this reveals about Africa’s agency in foreign policy
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