politics
May 4, 2026
Beijing calls Taiwan’s president a ‘rat’ after secret trip to southern Africa
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te made a secret trip to Eswatini, prompting Beijing to brand him a “rat”
TL;DR
- China's Taiwan Affairs Office branded Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te a 'rat crossing the street' and 'troublemaker' for his unannounced state visit to Eswatini.
- Lai traveled to Eswatini, one of Taiwan's 12 diplomatic allies and its sole African ally, on an Eswatini government aircraft after previous overflight permits were revoked.
- Beijing views Lai's visit as a challenge to the one-China principle.
- Lai responded on X, stating Taiwan will 'never be deterred by external pressures' and will 'continue to engage with the world'.
- Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council dismissed Beijing's rebuke as 'fishwife's gutter talk'.
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