In brief
In a rare diplomatic move, Beijing’s foreign ministry has urged Chinese citizens in Eswatini to leave the country citing rampant cyber fraud and online gambling crimes. The warning followed a series of arrests of Chinese nationals at illegal gambling sites, which were later released by the High Court as the re‑arrests were deemed unlawful. Eswatini, the only African nation that maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan, has faced pressure from China to sever those relations, a factor that complicates the situation. Beijing’s advisory also highlighted the risk of high “security threats” for those staying in the country. The fallout comes as China continues to wrest control over its diplomatic narrative in Africa and, in particular, over its engagement with the island that Taiwan considers a territory.
China’s foreign ministry has issued a warning to its nationals in Eswatini, citing "security risks" that include rampant cyber fraud and gambling‑associated crime. Beijing advised Chinese residents to relocate as soon as possible to safer neighbour South Africa and stressed that continued stay could be dangerous.
The advisory follows a wave of arrests of Chinese nationals in the southern African kingdom, many of whom were detained for alleged involvement with illegal online gambling centres. After a High Court ruling released the arrested group, authorities re‑arrested them; the move was declared unlawful by their lawyers.
Eswatini is the sole African country maintaining official diplomatic relations with Taiwan – a stance China demands an end to. These tensions escalated after Taiwan’s President Lai Ching‑te attempted a visit to Eswatini, which was met with pressure from Beijing and the loss of flight permits by other African states.
China’s latest warning underscores its ongoing campaign to pressure nations into breaking ties with Taiwan, a campaign that has left the region in a state of heightened diplomatic uncertainty.
