China is calling on its citizens to leave Eswatini, an ally of Taiwan.

China has called on its citizens to leave Eswatini, a southern African country that is one of the few states in the world to maintain diplomatic relations with the authorities of Taiwan, an island claimed by Beijing, "as soon as possible".

This announcement is officially motivated by security reasons. However, it comes three and a half months after a visit to Eswatini by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, a bête noire of the Chinese authorities who accuse him of having separatist aims.

"The security situation in Eswatini is currently complex. Criminal activities related to online fraud and illegal gambling are flourishing, and the risks to public order, among other things, are extremely high," the consular service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.

In this context, Chinese authorities "advise Chinese nationals against traveling to Eswatini in the near future" and citizens and institutions already present "are urged to evacuate as soon as possible," he said in a statement released on the social network WeChat.

China considers Taiwan to be one of its provinces, which it has sought to "reunify" with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. It advocates for a peaceful takeover but does not rule out the use of force and has increased its military pressure on the island.

Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is a small kingdom located in the southeast of the African continent, between South Africa and Mozambique. It is the only African state to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Lai Ching-te had visited Eswatini in early May. His trip was initially planned for April but was postponed after the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked the Taiwanese president's flight authorizations following "strong pressure" from Beijing, according to Taipei.

The Taiwanese presidency has been held since 2016 by the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has contributed to strained relations between Taipei and Beijing. Economic and cultural exchanges, however, continue.

Only 12 states still maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, including the Vatican, Paraguay, and several Latin American and Caribbean countries.