Dear southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, home to the largest African diaspora in the People’s Republic of China, African leaders, sons and daughters of the black continent had great confidence in Beijing, and did not expect anything negative, but your recent xenophobic campaign against Africans is SHAME, DISGRACE, INFAMY and puts our relationship at STAKE.
I was among the few Africans who attached great hope to the People’s Republic of China. After the West betrayed us, Beijing was the next “Mecca”. However, the malicious treatment of Guangzhou people towards Africans has blurred that silver lining in my mind.
When I read about the incident, I deemed it a duty, as an African son, to react on behalf of all my brothers and sisters who are exposed to this racism of the 20th century.
We do experienced racism in the West and other parts of the world. But this to happen in Beijing, Africa’s largest trading partner, at this critical juncture, is a bitter pill to swallow.
The sons and daughters of the continent turned to the Asian country when they saw that the West, that has raped the continent of its resources, is full of anti- immigrant sentiments and racist hate speech. They did not envision that, one day, Chinese people will betray them.
Many Chinese are working in Africa and no one discriminates them, no one abuses them; they are treated with due respect. They are even many African women who have given birth to Chinese babies. The Chinese fathers vanished in thin air, but the African mothers are raising the babies. Hope, one day, they will remember that they left behind their blood and flesh.
Many Chinese companies have been established in the black continent and billions of dollars in profits leave the continent toward Beijing every month.
African states always meet with Beijing officials in Forum of China-African Cooperation to discuss current and future economic and trade opportunities.
Many hospitals have been built by China in the continent to deepen bilateral relations. Millions of Chinese are residing in Africa and thousands of Africans are working and studying in China. Trade between the two sides have flourished since 1990’s and Beijing is currently the continent’s largest trading partner. China has several military presence in some African countries.
All these are promising signs, however, all are at stake, why? Off course the recent Chinese wider and systematic xenophobic campaigns, accusing Africans of spreading Covid-19! If it was Malaria, that we have failed to combat, that could make sense. I could not waste time to react.
Till now, Africa states are the least affected globally with this fatal virus. It is still under control despite poor health infrastructure and brain drainage of doctors who have left the continent to the “land of milk and honey”. Unfortunately, they are also exposed to xenophobia there.
[caption id="attachment_121444" align="aligncenter" width="579"]
An African Student in a Metro in China[/caption]
The virus first appeared in Wuhan in December 2019. Not in Abuja, not in Kampala, not in Nairobi, not in Dar es Salaam, not in Lilongwe, not in Maputo, not in Bujumbura, not in Kigali, not in Kinshasha, not in Juba, not in Addis Ababa, not in Asmara, not in Lusaka, not in Yaounde, not in Harare, not in Dakar, not in Accra, not in Johannesburg; it was Wuhan, Wuhan, Wuhan, the sprawling capital of Central China’s Hubei province.
Africans do not eat dogs; Africans are not lovers of bat’s soup.
Why are you evicting the sons and daughters from their apartments? Why do you bar them from entering restaurants? Why do you install cameras to monitor them? Why do police herd Africans along streets?
The whole BLACK continent, that we are proud of, feel deeply betrayed by Beijing. This same continent did not raise any xenophobic remarks against the Chinese in Africa as it is in Europe, where Chinese people are mistreated due to this virus.
The Chinese xenophobic campaign defies human rights and international protocols. Local hostility is prevalent, but corona has intensified the tension.
Beijing is wooing African states to scoop commercial contracts; China is marketing its Belt and Road infrastructure projects on the continent. It promised to offer 60 billion in loans and aid to Africa in 2018.
The million-dollar question is: How can we Africans give contracts, join the Belt and Road, with a country whose citizens are hostile towards the sons and daughters of the BLACK continent?
Coronavirus, that appeared in Wuhan, is a global disaster; we need to collaborate to combat it. However, accusing Africans will not solve the disaster; it will instead undermine China-Africa friendship.
With the coronavirus increasing its spread across Africa, the continent received a much-needed medical package from Chinese billionaire Jack Ma. This was a nice gesture from China. But, now the Guangzhou’s hostility will make Africans to think twice from now onwards.
I thank all the African Union, states, ambassadors, influential personalities who have expressed their dissatisfaction, raised their voices to stop this malicious campaign.
Most African nations have established good relations with Beijing. Western countries are jealous of this relation and strive to drive a wedge between Beijing and Africa nations. Why can’t we put xenophobic campaign at bay and concentrate on our common interests?
The Asian country should adhere to international principles; strengthen the relationship with the continent during this critical period. This, in turn, will arrest the West’s plan to sow discord between Beijing and African states.
To all AFRICANS, we need to cooperate and stop any kind of pision: In unity there is strength; we can move huge mountains when we are united; without unity, we are victims, victims in Europe, in America, in Australia, in Asia, in Russia, and in the Middle East.
Our continent has been labelled “the shithole” but we keep showing our ‘dental formula’ to such nonsense. Let us wake up and think out of the box. Alluta Continua.
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