TAIPEI, Taiwan—Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te returned home on May 5 after a state visit to Eswatini, vowing that the island nation would not be deterred by external pressure.

Lai made the remarks at a press conference at Taoyuan International Airport, with Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla by his side. His trip has drawn international attention after it was abruptly canceled in late April amid Chinese interference, only to be rescheduled for May 2 despite significant logistical and diplomatic hurdles.

“The external pressure this trip temporarily experienced has, on the contrary, allowed the international community to see Taiwan’s firm determination and strong will to engage with the world,” Lai said, according to a translation provided by the presidential office.

“The people of Taiwan are people of the world, and they have every right to engage with the world. We will not back down in the face of pressure.”

The state visit had originally been scheduled from April 22 to April 26 to attend the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession to the throne and his 58th birthday. However, the day before the scheduled departure, the presidential office canceled the trip, noting that three African countries—Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar—had revoked overflight permits for the president’s charter flight due to China’s “intense pressure.”

China’s action prompted international criticism. The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) said in an April 21 post on X that what Beijing did was “not diplomacy” but rather “economic pressure aimed at isolating democratic partners.”

The CCP, which claims Taiwan as a breakaway province, has repeatedly condemned Lai as a “separatist” over his strong defense of the island’s sovereignty and has so far refused to engage with his administration.

Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is one of 12 countries that maintain formal diplomatic relationships with Taiwan.

Lai traveled to and from Eswatini aboard the king’s private Airbus A340, an aircraft previously operated by a Taiwanese airline.

On the return trip to Taiwan, the A340 flew a southern Indian Ocean route, skirting Mauritius and Madagascar, according to flight tracking apps. Both Mauritius and Madagascar maintain significant economic and diplomatic relationships with Beijing.

The aircraft then flew over Australia’s Christmas Island, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines, before entering Taiwan’s airspace ahead of its arrival at Taoyuan, a city in northern Taiwan.

Taiwan’s Air Force dispatched four F-16 fighter jets to escort the aircraft back, according to a video shared on X by Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan’s National Security Council.

Lai was accompanied on his return flight by Dladla, who he said had made the trip to ensure his “smooth journey” and that of his delegation. Dladla had arrived in Taiwan last week as the king’s special envoy.

“This visit strengthens our diplomatic ties and is an exercise of our basic diplomatic rights. It also stands as a concrete example of how Taiwan is working with like-minded countries to maintain the international order,” Lai said.

During his stay in Eswatini, Lai said he witnessed “concrete results” of bilateral cooperation across energy security, industrial investment, agriculture, smart health care, women’s empowerment, and cultural and educational exchanges.

“Such cooperation not only symbolizes the depth of the friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini spanning over half a century, but also highlights Taiwan’s commitment to working with international partners for greater security, prosperity, and progress,” Lai said.

During Lai’s visit, the Eswatini government posted on X that the king and Lai reaffirmed their shared commitment to ensuring that the long-standing ties between the two sides “continue to flourish.”

The U.S. State Department said in a statement that Taiwan is a “trusted and capable” partner of the United States, and Taipei’s relationships around the world, including with Eswatini, provide “significant benefits.

Tibor Nagy, who served as assistant secretary of state for African Affairs from 2018 to 2021, said he was delighted to see Lai in Eswatini, according to an X post on May 4.

“Shameful for several African nations to deny overflight for [the president’s] plane. They should remember how they were victimized as colonies; same what China wants to do to Taiwan,” Nagy wrote.

Before his visit to Eswatini, Lai’s most recent overseas trip was a 2024 tour of three Pacific allies—the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau—with stopovers in Hawaii and the U.S. territory of Guam.

Reuters contributed to this report.