In a fresh development that intertwines security concerns and long-running diplomatic friction over Taiwan, China’s foreign ministry has issued an urgent advisory calling on all its citizens to depart the southern African kingdom of Eswatini, citing elevated and pervasive security threats within the country.
The announcement names rampant cyber fraud and gambling-linked criminal activity as the core security concerns driving the evacuation order, though no specific granular details about recent incidents were provided in the official statement. To mitigate risk, Chinese authorities are urging their nationals to relocate to neighboring South Africa, which the ministry describes as a relatively safer alternative destination.
Eswatini holds unique diplomatic significance for cross-strait relations: it is the only African country among 13 nations worldwide that maintains formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing formally claims as an inalienable part of its sovereign territory. China has waged sustained diplomatic pressure over decades to push countries to cut official ties with Taipei and recognize Beijing’s one-China principle instead.
Local private media outlet the Times of Eswatini reported this week that 40 Chinese nationals have been held in detention since last month, after being re-arrested while attempting to exit the country. The group was first apprehended in March alongside dozens of other foreign citizens during law enforcement raids targeting suspected illegal online gambling operations in Mbabane, Eswatini’s capital, and surrounding suburban areas. According to the outlet’s reporting, legal representatives for the detained Chinese nationals confirm that their clients pleaded guilty to minor immigration violations, paid all court-ordered fines, and were subsequently ordered released by the Eswatini High Court. The lawyers argue that the second arrest of the 40 citizens violates the country’s own legal framework and is entirely unlawful. As of press time, the Eswatini government has not issued any public comment responding to these claims or to China’s evacuation advisory.
China’s advisory further warns that any Chinese citizens who choose to disregard the order and remain in or travel to Eswatini will expose themselves to extremely high security risks, and that the Chinese government’s ability to provide timely consular assistance to those in trouble will be severely compromised. No official data has been released on the total number of Chinese citizens currently residing or working in Eswatini.
This latest exchange comes after a series of escalating diplomatic tensions between Beijing, Mbabane and Taipei earlier this year. In April, Taiwan accused Beijing of coercing neighboring countries to revoke overflight permission for a planned trip by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te to Eswatini, an attempt that Taipei said was intended to derail the visit entirely. The trip, originally scheduled to mark the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s ascension to the throne, was initially postponed due to the overflight dispute, and Lai ultimately made a low-key, unannounced visit to the kingdom in May. After the visit concluded, Beijing’s foreign ministry issued a scathing statement dismissing Lai as an “international laughing stock”.
In another visible sign of diplomatic friction earlier this year, China eliminated tariffs on imports from all African countries — with the explicit exception of Eswatini.