Africa, US confront China over racist mistreatment of blacks

JOHANNESBURG — African officials are confronting China over racist mistreatment of Africans in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, and the U.S. says African Americans have been targeted too.

Some Africans in the commercial hub have reported being evicted or discriminated against amid coronavirus fears. A U.S. Embassy security alert 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.’ ”

That’s in response to a rise in virus infections in Guangzhou, the U.S. said, adding that“African Americans have also reported that some businesses and hotels refuse to do business with them.”

A recent increase in virus cases in China has been largely attributed to people arriving from overseas.

African diplomats in Beijing have met with Chinese foreign ministry officials and “stated in very strong terms their concern and condemnation of the disturbing and humiliating experiences our citizens have been subjected to,” Sierra Leone’s Embassy in Beijing said Friday, adding that 14 citizens had been put into compulsory 14-day quarantine.

The diplomats reminded officials of their support of China during the pandemic, especially in the early days. Some African nations that had many students stranded during China’s earlier lockdown had sided with Chinese officials against calls for evacuations, and many African nations praised Beijing for its virus response.