On 7 May 2026, Seychelles President Patrick Herminie held his first live press conference since taking office and reaffirmed Seychelles’ firm support for the one-China principle.

Responding to a question regarding the revocation of a flight application, President Herminie stated that Taiwan is not a country, it’ a province of China, and that there is no such thing as a “president” of Taiwan. He stressed that anyone claiming to be the “president” of Taiwan would not be permitted into Seychelles or fly over Seychellois airspace.

President Herminie further stated that Seychelles is a sovereign country that acts in accordance with its own principles and policies and is not dictated to by any other countries. He noted that Seychelles’ principle of “friend to all, enemy to none” remains unchanged, adding that since Taiwan is only a province, the Seychellois government be an enemy to a province.