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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Elections & Politics

Taiwan Presidential Office Denies Mauritius Denied Flight Permit, Blames China

From Liberty Times · (22m ago) Chinese Critical tone

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Taiwan's Presidential Office refutes claims that President Lai Ching-te's aircraft was denied flight permission by Mauritius.
  • The office stated that flight permits for the presidential plane, including for Mauritius, were obtained in mid-April through standard procedures.
  • Taiwan accuses China of pressuring countries to revoke flight permissions, thereby interfering with diplomatic activities.

The Liberty Times, a prominent Taiwanese newspaper, strongly refutes what it terms 'rumors' and 'fake news' originating from certain pro-China commentators regarding the flight path for President Lai Ching-te's planned visit to Eswatini. The article centers on a stern rebuttal from Presidential Office spokesperson Kuo Ya-hui, who categorically denied allegations that Mauritius had never granted flight permission for the presidential aircraft.

The presidential plane obtained flight permits for Mauritius and other countries in mid-April through procedures. The claim that the presidential plane had no application or was not approved for air rights is false and clearly a fabrication.

— Kuo Ya-huiPresidential Office spokesperson, refuting claims about the flight permit denial.

Kuo Ya-hui emphasized that flight permits, including for Mauritius, were secured in mid-April via established procedures. She condemned the narrative suggesting a lack of application or approval as false and a deliberate fabrication. The Presidential Office views these claims as part of a broader pattern of Chinese pressure aimed at disrupting Taiwan's diplomatic engagements. The article highlights international support for Taiwan, citing statements from the US State Department, the EU, Japan, Germany, and France, all of which have expressed disapproval of China's use of economic coercion to interfere with diplomatic activities.

More and more international democratic allies have expressed their disapproval of China's use of economic coercion to pressure third countries to cancel flight permits and interfere with our country's diplomatic activities.

— Kuo Ya-huiCommenting on international reactions to China's alleged pressure tactics.

From Taiwan's perspective, as presented by the Liberty Times, this incident is a clear example of Beijing's attempts to isolate Taiwan on the international stage. The article frames the situation as a struggle between democratic values and authoritarian pressure. It underscores Taiwan's commitment to maintaining its democratic principles and international partnerships, asserting that such actions by China only serve to increase global awareness of Taiwan's situation. The narrative strongly supports the government's position, portraying Taiwan as a victim of unfair political tactics and rallying international solidarity.

The presidential plane obtained flight permits for Mauritius and other countries in mid-April through procedures. The claim that the presidential plane had no application or was not approved for air rights is false and clearly a fabrication.

— Kuo Ya-huiPresidential Office spokesperson, refuting claims about the flight permit denial.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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