Taiwan president defiant on visit to Eswatini; China calls him a 'rat'

TAIPEI — Taiwan has a right to engage with the world and no country can stop ⁠that, President Lai Ching-te told Eswatini's king after he arrived for a surprise trip that Taipei says Beijing tried to stop, as China condemned him as a "rat"

TAIPEI — Taiwan has a right to engage with the world and no country can stop ⁠that, President Lai Ching-te told Eswatini's king after he arrived for a surprise trip that Taipei says Beijing tried to stop, as China condemned him as a "rat".

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China views democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taiwan's government strongly ⁠disputes, and Beijing has demanded countries stop any ​engagements ⁠with the island.

Last month, Taiwan said China had forced three Indian Ocean countries to pull overflight permission for Lai's aircraft to travel to the ⁠small southern African kingdom of Eswatini for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III's ​accession. ⁠It is one of only 12 ‌countries with formal ties with Taipei.