By Olalekan A. Babatunde
Never before in the history of China-African relations have African officials confronted China publicly and in private over the reports of alleged mistreatment of some African migrants in the Chinese city of Guangzhou.
A couple of social media reports which first surfaced through some Nigerians in the city had shared scenes that depicted they were evicted from the hotels, denied access to their local restaurants and stated they were forcefully tested for the virus because, according to them, the Chinese authorities were enforcing the Coronavirus (COVID-19) measures to stem its spread.
A few days later, other stories emerged that echoed the earlier images that other African nationals were involved in the prevention measures. A lot of Nigerians and their African counterparts were unhappy and felt their government should respond in kind.
The African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat, after expressing concern at the accusations, called for immediate remedial measures “in line with our excellent relations.” The continental body’s chair, South Africa called for an investigation into the matter.
In Nigeria, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, was unhappy while showing a video of quarantine workers mistreating people to the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Zhou Pingjian.
He said, “We will not allow Nigerians to be maltreated in other countries.” Also the African ambassadors, after protest, have demanded better treatment for African nationals after the incident.
Since the diplomatic conflict, China has vowed equal treatment for Africans and other foreigners. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Zhao Lijian has since noted: “We reject differential treatment, and have zero tolerance for discrimination.”
At no time in the past has a matter of this scale brought up people and officials of the two parties-Africa and China, to simultaneously been engaging each other in this manner.
Because of lack of access to primary data to draw competent conclusions and understanding from the Guangzhou incident, it is worthwhile to advance reasons why both China and Africa should mitigate the threats of division and misunderstanding.
The need to guard the good relationships, which have existed for a long time between Africa and China, is critical to douse tension and thwart some western media and organizations that have latched on the opportunity to express criticisms and condemn China for what had happened.
Already, a top US diplomat to Africa, Tibor Nagy had described the Guangzhou report as “appalling” as one the State Department official said the episode was “a sad reminder of how hollow the PRC-Africa relationship really is.”
Meanwhile, it is crucially important to have a sense of the enormity of the task the Chinese authorities must have been confronted with since the outbreak of the pandemic.
From the time when Coronavirus started in Wuhan in December 2019 to mid-April, a wide range of efforts were deployed at understanding the virus, preventing its spread both within and outside their country, treating the infected, protecting and caring for the rest populace.
As we have seen across the globe, countries are taking appropriate actions to curb its spread, and if not handled properly could trigger misunderstanding and conflict.
Africa and China have come a long way, and both attached strategic value to each other. As far back as the ancient times, Africa has had some interactions with China when the latter traded with the Horn of Africa in porcelain, silk, sliver and other wares.
Explorers like Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta as well as the discovered routes and wrecked ships attested to the feat. But it was not until the post-Cold War that Africa politically connected with the People’s Republic of China.
Aid, moral and material support was given to liberation movements in the Southern African countries of Mozambique, Angola and in South Africa. The Bandung Afro-Asian Conference of April 1955 also provided an opportunity for Africa and Asia, especially China and Africa to further strengthen direct relationship.
During the conference, the then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and Vice Premier Chen Yi, who was also the foreign minister, had talks with the then Egyptian premier Nasser and representatives from Ghana, Nigeria, Libya, Sudan, Liberia and Ethiopia. This strategic engagement renewed the positive relationship between China and Africa.
With that solid foundation of friendship, a new era was birthed for flourishing relationships and partnership. For example, Africa supported China in its bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Several Chinese leaders like Chairman Mao, Premier Zhou Enlai and Mr. Deng Xiaoping and President Xi have visited Africa while African leaders have also gone to China to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Since the Mao’s visit, successive Chinese leaders have been to Africa to foster closer diplomatic, economic and socio-cultural cooperation.
Both have also shared similar socio-economic and political experience in contemporary history. China and Africa suffered from invasion, plunder and enslavement by colonialists.
They gave sympathy and support to each other in their struggles against colonialism, liberation and national independence. It was the birth of new China in 1949 that opened up a new chapter in Sino-African relations.
Between 1950 and 1970, a great number of newly independent African countries established diplomatic relations with China, and Sino-African relationship thus ushered into a new era of all-round development.
This strong beginning in relations should not be allowed to be shattered on the platter of a virus.
Today, both Africa and China are benefitting from the rich cooperation. On multilateral basis, platforms such as the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) that were launched in 2013 have been the visible channel China is engaging Africa.
It is the launch of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013 by President Xi Jinping that opened up another opportunity for Africa’s infrastructure development, investment, finance and trade.
Given the Africa’s development challenges in which the western colonization and globalization as well as the treatment of Bretton Woods Institutions have contributed, it is China that is supporting the continent through the BRI to better the lot of the people.
At this time of the Covid-19 pandemic which has made international organizations such as the World Health Organization, International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to describe Africa’s condition as very dire and vulnerable, it is China and its richest person, Jack Ma, that have provided protective equipment that are distributed to all African countries.
So the central notion of both parties’ interests connect with each other’s needs and concerns in diplomacy, trade, infrastructure, connectivity and others. The past and present global order calls for the scale up of such relations.
Yet, it is fair to note that the relationships have not been without challenges such as reports of environmental pollution, human rights abuses and anti-China riot in Zambia but they have grown from strength to strength and been mutually beneficial for both parties.
The Guangzhou experience should be considered as one of those challenges that warrant to be surmounted. One can extrapolate that there is no friendship without friction.
When friction comes, efforts should be geared toward reconciliation and resolution. Indeed, the challenge should turn to an opportunity to manage and improve multilateral cooperation with China and flatten the curve of the diplomatic row.
Babatunde, PhD, is of Nigeria’s Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Abuja.
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