Taiwan President Lai Ching-te says state visits are a “basic right” for governments after returning from a three-day trip to Eswatini. Taiwan’s government says the trip was disrupted earlier by Chinese pressure, which it alleges was aimed at blocking Lai’s travel. According to Taiwan, Lai was originally expected to go to Eswatini last month, but the initial trip was cancelled amid Chinese pressure. Taiwan says China pressured three countries to revoke flight permits and denied Lai transit through their airspace. China did not publicly confirm whether it applied such pressure, but it thanked some countries for their support for Beijing’s “one-China” principle. Lai ultimately rescheduled the visit and arrived in Eswatini on May 2, where he held discussions covering cooperation in areas including economic, agricultural, cultural and educational ties. Upon his return to Taiwan, Lai said international visits are comparable to visiting friends and that all countries have the right to host such trips, adding that the obstruction attempt underscored Taiwan’s position.