No room for discrimination, says Chinese embassy
The Chinese embassy in South Africa says the country has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination.
Africans in southern China's largest city say they have become targets of suspicion and subjected to forced evictions, arbitrary quarantines and mass coronavirus testing as Beijing steps up its fight against imported infections, drawing accusations of xenophobia.
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China says it has largely curbed its Covid-19 outbreak but a recent cluster of cases linked to the Nigerian community in Guangzhou sparked the alleged discrimination by locals and virus prevention officials.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Chinese embassy said that country aims to treat all people, whether foreign or local, the same.
“It is our sincere hope that all foreigners in China will strictly observe the relevant laws as well as local anti-epidemic regulations, and cooperate with and support China in fighting against the virus.
“The Chinese government’s position is firm, clear and consistent, i.e. all foreign nationals in China are treated equally.”
China has banned foreign nationals from entering the country, and many travellers are being sent into 14-day quarantines either in their own accommodation or at centralised facilities.