China tells citizens to leave Taiwan-allied Eswatini

Beijing has instructed its citizens to evacuate Eswatini immediately, citing heightened security risks in the African nation that remains one of Taiwan's few diplomatic allies. President Lai Ching-te visited Eswatini in May, but China accuses Beijing of attempting to sabotage the trip by pressuring nearby countries to withdraw their support.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry's Consular Affairs Department announced on Tuesday that Chinese nationals and institutions in the country should leave as soon as possible or relocate to safer areas like South Africa due to rampant cyber fraud and online gambling criminal activities. The department emphasized that those who persist in traveling to or remaining in Eswatini will face extremely high security risks, potentially affecting the timeliness of receiving consular assistance.

Eswatini, a small enclave kingdom formerly known as Swaziland, is one of 12 nations that still recognize Taiwan. China has managed to persuade other countries to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan, even extending a zero-tariff policy to all African countries except Eswatini.