China tells citizens to leave Taiwan-allied Eswatini

Eswatini says it “will not be coerced, disadvantaged or destabilised” over its foreign policy choices, the government said on Wednesday after China told its citizens to immediately leave the country.

The southern African enclave is one of 12 countries that still recognise Taiwan despite Chinese efforts to persuade them to break diplomatic ties with the self-ruled island.

Taiwan’s president visited Eswatini in May. Taipei accused Beijing of trying to derail the trip by pressuring nearby countries to revoke flyover permits.

On May 1, China extended a zero-tariff policy to all African countries except Eswatini.

The consular affairs department of China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that “Chinese nationals and institutions already in the country should evacuate as soon as possible or relocate to relatively safer areas such as South Africa.”

The ministry cited “rampant cyber fraud and online gambling criminal activities” as among the ongoing security concerns.

“Those who insist on travelling to or remaining in the area will face extremely high security risks, and the timeliness of receiving consular assistance may be affected,” the department said in a statement shared to social media platform WeChat.

The Eswatini government on Wednesday said the claim of a security risk in the small country was “unsupported” and “regrettable.”

A commerce ministry source said there were more than 200 Chinese nationals in the country, working in textile, retail and restaurants.

Eswatini arrested at least 55 Chinese citizens this year in a crackdown on an alleged online gambling, extortion and cyber-fraud network.