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In China, reports of racist incidents are piling up in the corona crisis. African businessmen are apparently particularly affected. They are driven out of their homes or placed under house arrest.
By Steffen Wurzel, ARD Studio Shanghai
Anozie Maduabuchi Cyril is visibly upset. A video uploaded to Facebook and Twitter shows the top Nigerian diplomat shouting at a Chinese official. The scene was shot in the southern Chinese economic metropolis of Guangzhou, apparently in front of a building that houses people in forced quarantine.
The Consul General calls that he has come to protect Nigerian citizens. "Why are you bullying our citizens?" He wants to know from the Chinese official.
Terminations and compulsory testing
The background to the verbal confrontation is the number of openly xenophobic and racist incidents in Guangzhou that have to do with the Chinese authorities' fight against the corona virus.
Since several Nigerians in Guangzhou tested positive for the corona lung virus, foreigners in the metropolis have complained about massive discrimination. For example, people with black skin in particular report that they were arbitrarily placed under house arrest by the authorities and forced to carry out virus tests. Others were thrown out of the apartment by their landlords.
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Most of the people affected are people who have lived and worked in Guangzhou for many years.
Government is downplaying incidents
The incidents meanwhile cause diplomatic upset. The African Union ordered the Chinese ambassador, Liu Yuxi, to protest. The U.S. government has warned black-skinned nationals to travel to Guangzhou.
China's state and party leadership is now trying to downplay the incidents. Liu Baochun from the Guangzhou City Foreign Office spoke of "individual misunderstandings and disproportionate actions" when implementing health requirements. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said there was no discrimination against "African brothers." The warning from Washington that authorities in Guangzhou had taken more measures against Africans was rejected as an attempt to damage Beijing's relations with African states.
Traders and passersby avoid foreigners
In fact, xenophobic and racist incidents across China have increased noticeably in recent weeks. The most important reason may be that the Chinese leadership emphasizes that most newly reported coronavirus cases are cases imported from abroad. Accordingly, non-Chinese-looking people in China are eyed with suspicion in many places.
"Of course I'm currently a little scared when I see foreigners," says a trader in a market hall in Shanghai. "Usually I don't see it that way, but now I think it's good when no more foreigners are allowed into the country." They avoid foreigners because of the virus. Since she also likes to forego the income.
