{"id":572,"date":"2020-04-13T00:30:09","date_gmt":"2020-04-12T23:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedailyleaks.com\/?p=572"},"modified":"2020-04-13T01:18:52","modified_gmt":"2020-04-13T00:18:52","slug":"african-ambassadors-in-china-complain-to-government-over-discrimination-against-compatriots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedailyleaks.com\/african-ambassadors-in-china-complain-to-government-over-discrimination-against-compatriots\/","title":{"rendered":"African ambassadors in China complain to government over ‘discrimination’ against compatriots"},"content":{"rendered":"

African ambassadors in China have written to the country\u2019s foreign minister over what they call discrimination against Africans as the country seeks to prevent a resurgence of the coronavirus.<\/p>\n

Several African countries have separately also demanded that China address their concerns that Africans, in particular in the southern city of Guangzhou, are being mistreated and harassed.<\/p>\n

Having brought under control the original outbreak centred on the city of Wuhan, China is now concerned about imported cases and is stepping up scrutiny of foreigners coming into the country and tightening border controls. It has denied any discrimination.<\/p>\n

Reuters<\/a> said in recent days Africans in Guangzhou have reported being ejected from their apartments by their landlords, being tested for coronavirus several times without being given results and being shunned and discriminated against in public. Such complaints have been made in local media, and on social media.<\/p>\n

The ambassadors\u2019 note said such \u201cstigmatisation and discrimination\u201d created the false impression that the virus was being spread by Africans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Group of African Ambassadors in Beijing immediately demands the cessation of forceful testing, quarantine and other inhuman treatments meted out to Africans,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

The note was sent to China\u2019s top diplomat, Wang Yi, copying the chair of the African Union, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and all African foreign ministers.<\/p>\n

The Chinese foreign ministry\u2019s International Press Centre did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the note, sent outside of business hours.<\/p>\n

The Chinese embassy in South Africa also did not respond.<\/p>\n

Foreign affairs official Liu Baochun told a news conference on Sunday that Guangzhou is enforcing anti-virus measures on anyone who enters the city from across the national border, regardless of nationality, race or gender.<\/p>\n

The Chinese embassy in Zimbabwe on Saturday dismissed the accusation that Africans were being deliberately targeted.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is harmful to sensationalize isolated incidents,\u201d it said in a tweeted statement. \u201cChina treats all individuals in the country, Chinese and foreign alike, as equals.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, a U.S. Embassy security alert on Saturday said that ‘police ordered bars and restaurants not to serve clients who appear to be of African origin,’ and local officials have launched mandatory testing and self-quarantine for ‘anyone with “African contacts”.’<\/p>\n

Some Africans have even described being suddenly evicted from their homes.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"China
China was blasted by several African nations after Africans living in Guangzhou describe being shunned, targeted for additional COVID-19 screenings and evicted from their homes\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

‘I’ve been sleeping under the bridge for four days with no food to eat… I cannot buy food anywhere, no shops or restaurants will serve me,’\u00a0Tony Mathias, an exchange student from Uganda, told\u00a0France 24<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mathias was evicted from his apartment on Monday. He said: ‘We’re like beggars on the street.<\/p>\n

Africans in Guangzhou also claimed they haves shunned by others in public and targeted for additional COVID-19 tests without ever seeing the results.<\/p>\n

\u2018There is an escalating scrutiny of foreign nationals, but they are targeting the Africans and the African American community. Since last Thursday we saw 114 new cases reported in Guangzhou of coronavirus infections and 16 of those were Africans,\u2019 said journalist Sarah Clarke for\u00a0Al Jazeera<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018We’ve seen a number of reports from social media from members of the African community in Guangzhou making complaints of mistreatment, arrests, eviction and being denied access to restaurants and hotels, and some students are even claiming to be living on the streets and being denied food,\u2019 she added.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"Fears
Fears over a second wave of the novel coronavirus has been cited as a reason for xenophobia and racial discrimination against Africans and African-Americans in Guangzhou<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Pictured:\u00a0Employees
Pictured: Employees wearing full protective gears sort protective face masks at Zonsen Medical factory in China<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n