We give love, care to all African citizens in China – Chinese Embassy

The Chinese Embassy in Ghana is reacting to reports of inhumane treatment being meted out to Ghanaians and other African Nationals in China in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Embassy Spokesperson, China will not forget the support from Africa during their most difficult times in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We will not forget the support from Africa during our most difficult times. While overcoming difficulties at home, we also give love and care to all African citizens in China, especially African students. Of the more than 3,000 African students in Hubei Province and the city of Wuhan, only one was infected and then quickly cured. And there is no infection among all the Ghanaian nationals in China,” the Embassy said.

The mission in Ghana defending some of the actions of the Chinese authorities in China asserted that “The fact is that, as the pandemic spreads all over the world, imported cases are causing mounting pressure to China, especially for Guangdong Province, a major province in China. Therefore, the province has to adopt rigorous measures which caused the concerns of some African countries. Now, the province is working promptly to improve their working method, including but not limited to taking health management measures without differentiation, lifting the health management to Africans except confirmed cases and close contacts (including suspected cases) from today according to relevant epidemic response procedures, establishing an effective communication mechanism with African Consulates-General in Guangzhou.”

The mission also admonished the media to be circumspect in their reportage about the situation in China, especially in Guandong Province. “Some media are exaggerating the situation and driving a wedge between China and Africa by interpreting the occasional incidents and misunderstandings as China treats Africans in a discrimination way, which has gone far beyond its original appearance.”

However, in the wake of the situation, Ghana’s Ambassador to China, H. E. Edward Boateng condemned the accumulating discrimination and targeting of Africans living in Guangzhou, China, adding that not all foreign nationals were treated equally in this case, according to him.

The Ambassador again said, “These acts go against the spirit of the Sino-Africa cooperations, the Focac Beijing Declaration of 2018 and the Vienna Convention Principles on Consular Affairs”.

The African ambassadors in China including Amb. Boateng also wrote a joint letter to the country’s foreign minister over what they call discrimination against Africans as the country seeks to prevent a resurgence of the coronavirus.

The African ambassadors’ letter sent to China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, highlighted a number of reported incidents, including that Africans were being ejected from hotels in the middle of the night, the seizure of passports, and threats of visa revocation, arrest or deportation.

In Ghana, over the weekend, Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchway summoned the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana to a closed-door meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration over reports of cruel treatment in China.

African students and expatriates in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou were last week reported having been subjected to forced coronavirus testing and arbitrary 14-day self-quarantine, regardless of recent travel history, amid heightened fears of imported infections in China.