China's passport warfare targets Taiwan | Taiwan News | Aug. 17, 2026 15:16

China is reportedly escalating “passport warfare” against Taiwan by using travel documents, overflight permissions, visas, and airport border controls to restrict Taiwanese mobility and isolate the island internationally. The report says that in late April, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked overflight clearances for President Lai Ching-te’s planned flight to Eswatini after pressure from Beijing. It adds that by May 2, Taipei and Mbabane routed the delegation via longer paths through friendly airspace. Later, the campaign allegedly expanded to ordinary travelers: Morocco’s embassy in Tokyo stopped mandatory visa confirmation letters, and in August Ugandan officials at Entebbe withheld Taiwanese passports, demanding Chinese passports instead.