søndag 19. april 2020

Is the China-Africa ‘all-weather’ relationship in the midst of a coronavirus storm?

The much touted “all-weather friendship” between China and Africa has been under strain recently, with Africans living in southern China complaining of mistreatment amid the
coronavirus pandemic. The Group of African Ambassadors in Beijing last week wrote an open letter saying they appreciated the good relationship between China and Africa, but were worried about the stigmatisation of African people. They pointed to the evictions of African people living in Guangzhou – the capital of Guangdong province – enforced testing for Covid-19, the seizure of passports and denial of entry to hotels as their main concerns.

There are currently 30,768 foreigners living in Guangzhou, including 4,553 Africans. One district of the city is known as Little Africa.