China advises its citizens to leave Taiwan ally Eswatini over 'security risks'
Eswatini is one of 12 countries, and the only one in Africa, that has diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
China's foreign ministry has advised its citizens to relocate from the southern African nation of Eswatini due to security concerns, specifically rampant cyber fraud and criminal activities related to gambling. The ministry did not provide further details about the nature of these risks. Eswatini is one of 12 countries, and the only African country, that maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a region China claims as its territory.
Since last month, 40 Chinese nationals have been detained in Eswatini following their arrest while attempting to leave the country, primarily due to their alleged involvement in illegal online gambling activities. The detained individuals had previously pleaded guilty to immigration offenses and paid fines imposed by the courts.
They were released on a High Court's orders, leading to their subsequent re-arrest, which their lawyers claim was unlawful. China warns that those who remain in Eswatini face "extremely high security risks" and that the speed of assistance may be compromised. The Chinese government's stance on Eswatini's diplomatic relations with Taiwan and its recent pressure on other countries to sever such ties have been a source of international tension.
Written by urgent.news from BBC World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
