In brief
China’s foreign ministry has advised its citizens to leave Eswatini, citing rampant cyber‑fraud and gambling‑linked crime. The advisory follows raids on illegal online gambling centres that saw many foreigners, including Chinese, detained. Eswatini is the only African country that maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan, placing it at the centre of escalating China‑Taiwan tensions. The warning comes after China tightened tariffs for all African nations except Eswatini and criticized Taiwan’s president for a visit that was shadowed by diplomatic pressure.
China’s foreign ministry has advised its citizens to leave the South African kingdom of Eswatini over security risks, citing rampant cyber fraud and gambling‑related crime.
The advisory urged expatriates to relocate to nearby safer nations like South Africa as soon as possible.
Eswatini remains the only African state that recognises Taiwan, a point of contention for Beijing which views the island as part of its territory.
In early May, a local news website reported that 40 Chinese nationals were detained after an attempt to leave the country during raids on illegal online gambling centres in Mbabane and surrounding areas. The group was later released by the High Court, but their re‑arrest was deemed unlawful by lawyers.
The ministry warned that Chinese citizens who remain in Eswatini face "extremely high security risks and the timeliness of assistance may be affected". The exact number of Chinese employees and residents in the country is unclear.
China has long pressured states to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Earlier this year, it lifted tariffs for all African countries except for Eswatini.
During a visit last month, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching‑te travelled to Eswatini, a trip that triggered diplomatic pressure from China and calls for an end to affiliation between the two governments.
China’s foreign ministry further criticised Lai, calling him an "international laughing stock" following the controversial visit.
For more details, see the related coverage on China‑Taiwan tensions and the recent diplomatic changes in Africa.
