-Rumors intended to nurture distrust between China and Africa never end, but can not last long as facts always speak louder.
-Despite remaining pressure to contain the epidemic at home, China has donated personal protective equipment, offered relief funds, and sent experienced medical experts, standing ready to assist African countries to the best of its ability.
-"Pandemics or differences will come and go, but the Africa-China relations will remain because they are built on sound principles and understanding."
by Xinhua writer Wang Hongjiang
NAIROBI, April 25 -- French television France 24 in an article recently posted on its website debunked some fake videos, reproaching the disinformation that seek to sow discord between China and Africa at a time when the world is grappling against the COVID-19 pandemic.
France 24 said a violent video in which a group of people can be seen beating an African man went viral on Twitter and other social media. The video purporting to show discrimination towards foreign nationals, particularly Africans, in China, is fake, it said, adding that it was an old footage that was shot not in China and had nothing to do with COVID-19.
Such rumors intended to nurture distrust between China and Africa never end, but can not last long as facts always speak louder.
FACTS SPEAK LOUDER
In the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, there are 30,768 foreigners including 4,553 Africans as of April 10.
"We take the same prevention and control measures for all personnel entering Guangzhou regardless of their nationality, race and gender," said Liu Baochun, director of the municipal foreign affairs office, when answering questions about local health management services during the COVID-19 epidemic at a press conference on April 12.
Staff unload the medical supplies from China at the airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Shoubao)
Daniel Chisenga, Consul General at the Zambian Consulate in Guangzhou, said there were no cases of any Zambian harassed.
Alima Danfakha Gakou, consul general of Mali in Guangzhou, told media on April 18 that the various measures have shown the importance Guangdong has attached to African residents, and a communication mechanism has been established between the African consulate generals and Guangdong and Guangzhou authorities.
"The measures taken by the Guangdong government to prevent the virus are very helpful and we talk about it with great pleasure," said Ethiopian Consul General in Guangzhou Teferi Melesse Desta.
"This is a time of jagged nerves," Charles Onunaiju, an expert in China-Africa studies recently told Xinhua in an interview, when talking about confusion and conflicting information over the conditions of Nigerians living in China.
The relations between China and Nigeria should never be undermined by controversies surrounding the novel coronavirus, he said.
