Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has departed Eswatini for home following a surprise trip to Africa in defiance of Beijing’s efforts to thwart his diplomatic outreach.

Eswatini remains the only African nation without tariff-free access to China's market due to its ties with Taiwan.

Cross-strait tensions have escalated in recent years as China has rapidly ramped up its military capabilities and conducted more intrusive operations near the island.

Taiwan has expressed concern hours after a call between China and the United States’ top diplomats in which Beijing stressed self-ruled Taiwan was the biggest risk in relations.

The governments have no official diplomatic or military ties. But a loose network led by company executives and volunteers is bridging some of that gulf.

Germany and the Czech Republic denied requests for Taiwan President Lai Ching-te to transit through Europe earlier this month, dooming his last-minute effort to circumvent a China-backed blockade of his first diplomatic trip to Africa,

Several dozen enthusiastic residents and tourists attended the event, which featured six snail races spaced out over two days