Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has arrived in Eswatini, the island's only diplomatic ally in Africa, days after his government accused China of pressuring African nations to block his flight path.
Lai described the visit as requiring "days of careful arrangements by diplomatic and national security teams". The trip was not announced in advance.
China dismissed the visit as a "stowaway-style escape farce" and reiterated its claim that Taiwan is part of its territory with no right to state-to-state relations.
Lai was greeted by Prime Minister Russell Dlamini and a guard of honour. His delegation includes Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung and National Security Council Adviser Alex Huang.
The original trip, set for April 22-26 to mark King Mswati III's 40th accession anniversary, was suspended after Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked flight permits, citing Chinese pressure.
Lai is scheduled for bilateral talks with King Mswati III and a customs agreement signing.
Eswatini is one of just 12 states maintaining formal ties with Taipei. Beijing has long pressured nations to sever those relations. On Friday, China scrapped tariffs for all African countries except Eswatini.