By John Okeke
The Federal Government has attributed the alleged ill-treatment of Nigerians by Chinese authorities in Guangzhou , the Guangdong province on poor communication between the Chinese authorities and African consulates in Guangzhou, China.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama in company of Zhou Pingjian, the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Abuja on yesterday.
He tasked Nigerians to be objective at all times in assessing incidents like that of Guangzhou.
Onyeama told journalists that Nigerian officials in China informed him that poor communication was responsible for efforts made by Chinese authorities to contain an incident of a lady who tested positive for the 2019 novel coronavirus in the area.
The Minister made reference to a video in both Igbo and English languages, which he said explained that the situation was not quite what was seen in the video of the alleged maltreatment of Nigerians.
In the same vein, the Chinese government explained why it resorted to strict measures against Nigerians and other Africans stranded in Guangzhou, China.
The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Zhou Pingjian said the prevalence of the COVID-19 disease among Foreigners, especially Nigerians and other Africans necessitated the action.
He explained that the Nigerians and other Africans were found to be more vulnerable given the number of those tested positive to the virus.
The envoy, however, agreed with Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama that the measures deployed to contain the importation of COVID-19 which led to the mistrust were not properly communicated.
The envoy said according to the current statistics of the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Guangzhou, Nigerians and other Africans were most vulnerable, hence the measures were meant to protect them.
He said the Chinese has a zero tolerance for discrimination.
Besides, he said Nigeria is a good friend of China and therefore would not do anything to destroy that relationship.
