Lai will attend celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of Mswati III’s accession to the throne and his 58th birthday, according to spokesperson Karen Kuo. The visit will be Lai’s first overseas trip since November 2024.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory and opposes maintaining formal diplomatic ties with, now has official relations with only 12 countries, most of them smaller nations in Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific, including Belize and Tuvalu.

The visit to Eswatini, a landlocked country largely surrounded by South Africa, avoids the need for transit through the United States, a route often required for Taiwan’s diplomatic visits to Latin America and one that typically draws strong protest from Beijing.

Lai last traveled abroad in November 2024, when he visited the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, transiting through Hawaii and the U.S. territory of Guam.Taiwan has maintained close ties with Eswatini, providing development assistance and humanitarian support.

In 2021, Taipei sent antiviral medication to aid King Mswati III’s recovery from COVID-19.The previous visit by a Taiwanese president to Eswatini took place in 2023, when former leader Tsai Ing-wen traveled to the kingdom.

Curtis, speaking alongside fellow lawmakers including Jeanne Shaheen, said Taiwan should draw lessons from Hong Kong, where Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 following unrest, a move critics say curtailed freedoms.

The visit comes as President Lai Ching-te seeks approval for an additional $40 billion in defence spending, a proposal backed by Washington but currently stalled in the opposition-controlled parliament.

Taiwan’s government says the funding is necessary to strengthen deterrence against China, which claims the island as its territory. Opposition parties have expressed support in principle for defence measures but have resisted approving what they describe as open-ended commitments.

Curtis said Taiwan risked misjudging Beijing’s intentions if it ignored the trajectory of Hong Kong since its return to Chinese rule in 1997 under a framework guaranteeing autonomy.“My biggest worry for Taiwan is that they underestimate the intentions of China,” Curtis said, urging vigilance despite aspirations for peace.

China has simultaneously stepped up engagement with Taiwan’s opposition. Beijing has invited Cheng Li-wun, leader of the Kuomintang, to visit, a trip she has described as a “peace mission.”

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said China’s objective of annexation had not changed and cautioned against what it called “illusions” about peace, reflecting ongoing tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Speaking at the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Taipei, Cheng said her party’s long-standing ties with the United States would remain intact even as it seeks closer engagement with mainland China. “There is no contradiction between the two, and there is no need to choose one over the other,” she said, rejecting criticism that outreach to Beijing would weaken relations with Washington.

Cheng, a former lawmaker who became KMT chair in October, has signalled a stronger push for engagement with Beijing compared to her predecessor Eric Chu, who did not visit China during his tenure starting in 2021. She has expressed interest in meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, though she did not provide details on any potential timeline.

China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has refused to engage with the government of President Lai Ching-te, whom it labels a separatist. However, Beijing has maintained contacts with senior KMT figures, underscoring the party’s role as an alternative channel for cross-strait communication.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has criticised the KMT’s approach, accusing it of undermining Taiwan’s democracy and aligning too closely with Beijing. Cheng rejected those claims, saying her party supports arms purchases from the United States, though she emphasised that such spending must be carefully evaluated.

The KMT, alongside the smaller Taiwan People’s Party, holds a parliamentary majority, allowing it to influence defence budgets and legislative priorities, including measures related to security cooperation with Washington.

Taiwan’s political parties are preparing for mayoral and county chief elections in November, seen as a key indicator of public sentiment ahead of the 2028 presidential race. Analysts say cross-strait policy and defence spending are likely to remain central campaign issues.

China has intensified military pressure on Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control, keeping geopolitical risks elevated in the region.