Africans in Guangzhou say they have become targets of suspicion and subjected to forced evictions, arbitrary quarantines and mass coronavirus testing.
Under strong international pressure, China on Sunday vowed to improve the treatment of Africans in the southern city of Guangzhou following accusations of discrimination linked to the coronavirus pandemic, and said it rejected all"racist and discriminatory" remarks.
The African Union expressed its"extreme concern" about the situation on Saturday, calling on Beijing to take immediate corrective measures. A recent cluster of coronavirus cases linked to the Nigerian community in Guangzhou, southern China's largest city, sparked the alleged discrimination by locals and virus-prevention officials."The Chinese government has been attaching great importance to the life and health of foreign nationals in China," Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in a statement.
Among the measures Zhao announced were non-discriminatory health management services and hotels for foreigners who are required to undergo medical observation, to be offered at reduced rates for those in need.The first reports of heightened discrimination came after local authorities said at least eight people diagnosed with the illness had spent time in the city's Yuexiu district, known as"Little Africa".
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