The Ambassador of Chinese government to Uganda Zheng Zhucliang has responded to Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s concerns on brutalization of Africans living in China in the recent past on accusations of importing COVID-19.
Following gross videos of Chinese attacking the blacks in several cities accusing them of spreading the virus, the First Son condemned the inhuman acts by asking the Chinese Communist Party to reign in on the “criminals.”
The Ambassador swiftly replied to Muhoozi’s uneasiness and further distanced his government from the perpetrators of the racial attacks saying some videos circulated were “doctored.”
Zheng acknowledges the attacks on Africans began with the resurrection of COVID-19 infections believed to have been brought by the blacks.
China was the first country in the world to announce the outbreak of the virus with its city Wuhan becoming the epicenter of the pandemic.
However, late March, the city lifted a lockdown allowing its occupants to begin work. Shockingly reports emerged that 14% of the recoveries had started testing positive again.
“By April 12, 2020, Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong Province, had reported a total of 119 imported COVID-19 cases. Among them, 94 were Chinese and 25 foreigners. Of the 25 foreign confirmed cases, 19 were from Africa. In addition to this, another 92 Africans residing in Guangzhou had also been tested positive for COVID-19, possibly being infected by the relevant imported cases of fellow Africans,” the ambassador said.
“This, as you fully understand, by no means represents the policy and position of the Chinese Government and has no any intention to discriminate Africans,” he added.
“Indeed, if, for example, Africans were instead left untested and un-quarantined during the whole prevention and control efforts, then that may be racism against Africans”
The ambassador says social media amplified the false attack.
“After careful verification, many of the videos circulating online have been found to be edited and did not tell the whole/true story. Both China and Africa should be united against online contents that may mislead people’s perceptions and sentiments at first sight.”
The ambassador says his government has taken a number of steps to ease the situation for the trapped Africans, which include allowing them to self-quarantine, extending expired visas, providing financial relief including cost reduction/exemption for their accommodation, and also stopping any restriction or denial to access public facilities and services.
Ambassador Zheng commended Gen Muhoozi’s reference to the Chinese Government as “a historical and reliable friend of Africa”
“Those warm remarks from a Ugandan comrade are true demonstration of our brotherhood and friendship that were nourished from the history, and from the battle that we fought shoulder by shoulder against colonialism, which China also cherishes too much at the bottom of our heart,” he said.
Muhoozi replied in acknowledgement of receipt of the letter thanking the envoy for his prompt response.
“I want to thank the Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, His Excellency Zheng Zhuqiang, for his prompt response to my tweets about the situation of some Ugandans and other Africans in Guangdong, China. In his comradely letter to me the Ambassador was able to highlight the effective counter COVID-19 measures the authorities in Guangdong are taking that affect all nationalities. He was also kind enough to explain the intervention measures the Central Government of China is taking to help Ugandans and other Africans,” Muhoozi tweeted.