US accuses China of pressuring African countries to block Taiwan president’s trip

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te REUTERS/Ann Wang The United States said it was concerned about reports that several African countries had revoked overflight authorizations for Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te at the request of China. 📱Download the g1 app to see news in real time and for free The State Department stated, this Wednesday (22), that the situation represents an improper use of the international civil aviation system. See the trending videos on g1 See the videos that are trending on g1 According to Taiwan, Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar unilaterally canceled permissions for the presidential aircraft to cross their airspace during a planned trip to Eswatini, one of the island’s few diplomatic allies. “These countries are acting at the behest of China, interfering with the safety and dignity of the routine travel of Taiwanese officials,” a State Department spokesperson told Reuters. READ ALSO Ceasefire only makes sense if it is not violated by the US naval blockade, says Iran’s main negotiator Due to the bans, the leader canceled the trip. Pan Meng-an, secretary-general of the presidential office, said the decision was made based on a security assessment conducted by the national security team. China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, has in recent years intensified military pressure on the self-governing island, with the deployment of fighter jets and warships almost every day. *With information from Reuters

Source link