Zambian businessman complains of racism in China
ZAMBIAN businessmen have asked Chinese ambassador to Zambia Li Jie to tell the nation what his government is doing to stop open racial discrimination and abuse Africans are subjected to in his country.
Narrating his ordeal following his last visit the Chinese town of Guangzhou to the Daily Nation yesterday, Green Lake Zambia Limited proprietor Kumbukilani Phiri said business prospects in China were no longer as rosy as they used to be for Africans as they were a target for racial segregation and discrimination.
Mr. Phiri said the circulation of a memo purported to be from one of the hotels in Guangzhou, directing that no African guests should be accommodated from July 6, 2018, made very sad reading but said it was not surprising because China had become hostile towards Africans.
“The memo did not come as a surprise to me because this sort of discrimination against Africans in Guangzhou has been going on for some time now. Things have really changed for the worst for Africans. An African can no longer go to places like night clubs or pubs without a passport,
“We got turned away by three pubs in one night saying they were full yet Chinese and other races got admitted. The local officials are seriously trying to flush out the illegal African immigrants more especially those from West Africa and inconveniencing business owners with strict rules on how to deal with Africans,” Mr. Phiri complained.
He said while Zambia and China shared a cordial relationship, the bad treatment that Africans, Zambians inclusive, were subjected to, was unfair.
“To avoid dealing with bundles of documentation for admission of Africans, most service places have simply resorted to turning Africans away. It is indeed a shame because every African is being treated the same regardless of the country they come from and their status,” he lamented.
He demanded that the Chinese Embassy in Zambia should come out clean over the matter as racism was threatening Zambian business entities from trading with that country .