Reports of black Africans being subjected to racial abuse in China are shocking. Several reports say Kenyans, Nigerians and nationals of African countries are being locked out of their homes, public spaces and services like buses and trains just because they are foreigners. And, unlike the natives, members of the black community in Guangzhou face special scrutiny over Covid-19.
It is inappropriate and unlawful for the Chinese to treat foreigners who are in the country legally cruelly. The world is busy battling Covid-19, a pandemic that has so far claimed more than 95,000 lives. Economies are suffering. Millions of people have lost their jobs as they cannot go to work lest they contract the disease. Families have lost loved ones.
Ironically, the source of the deadly coronavirus is said to be a live animal food market in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
All need to treat everyone with respect, love and compassion regardless of their nationality, race or faith, especially during these hard times. Denying people access to their homes due to their colour is backward and inhuman.
The Chinese government must, therefore, come out and address the claims of racial discrimination and apologise to the victims and the world for it. Beijing must assure the world that it will, henceforth, treat everyone with dignity and respect.
Millions of Chinese live in other countries, including African ones, yet we have not seen them being treated so inhumanely. If somebody is suspected to have Covid-19, let them be isolated and tested for the virus.
The international community must unite in condemning these racist acts by the Chinese. This is a very serious matter that should be addressed immediately to avoid retaliation against Chinese nationals who live elsewhere.
China should take lessons from Portugal, who granted all immigrants full citizenship rights, albeit temporary, during the coronavirus pandemic, and England, who extended expiring work visas for all migrants working as medical officers.
And this is not the first time China is facing backlash for racism against black people. In February, a video showing African children chanting racist slogans in Chinese fuelled social media outrage and calls on African governments to protect their citizens from such inhuman treatment. In the video, the children are heard chanting in Chinese “I am a black monster, I have a very low IQ”, probably not knowing what the words meant.
In 2017, the BBC reported that Chinese online shopping platform Taobao was forced to pull down promotional videos and photos featuring young black African children following outrage on social media. The advertisements were deemed as exploitative and against child labour laws.
Racism is backward, inhuman and has no place in a modern civilised society as ours.
Nicholas Sewe, journalist in Kenya and former Media Coordinator for LSE Africa Summit 2019
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