{
  "id": 13035330,
  "title": "Eswatini’s king pledges to strengthen ‘enduring friendship’ with Taiwan",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/eswatinis-king-pledges-to-strengthen-enduring-friendship-with-taiwan",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-09T04:36:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/10/09/eswatini-s-king-pledges-to-strengthen-enduring-friendship-with-taiwan"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "King Mswati III of Eswatini has announced his intent to strengthen the enduring friendship between his nation and Taiwan during a visit to Taipei for the country's national day celebrations on Saturday. This trip comes in the wake of President Tsai Ing-wen's earlier journey to Eswatini in May, which was initially blocked by China due to its efforts to prevent Taiwan from maintaining diplomatic relations with small states. Eswatini is one of only 12 countries worldwide with such ties to Taiwan, a priority for the island nation amid China's territorial claims. Following Tsai's visit, Taiwan accused China of pressuring three African nations to obstruct Lai's overflight permission, leading to a change in strategy where he arrived and announced his visit, a tactic often employed by leaders traveling to conflict zones like Ukraine. During his welcome ceremony in Taipei, King Mswati emphasized the value of Eswatini's ongoing cooperation with Taiwan and expressed a desire to further strengthen these ties for the benefit of both countries. Taiwan's President Tsai reiterated her commitment to Taiwan's participation in the United Nations, a goal denied by China. China's foreign ministry has yet to comment on the monarch's Taiwan visit. In April, Taiwan's president canceled a foreign trip due to denied airspace access, marking a new approach by China to limit Taiwan's international connections. The US, EU, and Britain all expressed concerns over this incident. During his May return flight in May, Lai bypassed airspace controlled by Mauritius and Madagascar, two countries Taiwan claimed were pressured by China. China has since criticized Eswatini's leaders for relying on Taiwan for support.",
  "summary": "King Mswati III says Eswatini will continue to advocate for Taiwan's meaningful participation in the UN, from which it is excluded due to Beijing's objections.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Eswatini’s king pledges to strengthen ‘enduring friendship’ with Taiwan",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/eswatinis-king-pledges-to-strengthen-enduring-friendship-with-taiwan-13035350",
        "published": "2026-10-09T04:36:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}