Early Warning Signs Indicate Coronavirus Crisis Could Provoke Anti-China Backlash Among Some Policymakers in Africa

Chinese officials would be well-advised to pay close attention to the Twitter account of Kenyan Senator Ledama Olekina who last week Tweeted to his 73,000+ followers an angry conflation of the debt and coronavirus issues.

If the virus makes landfall in Africa, which looks increasingly likely, and it causes considerable harm to the population or requires a sizable financial contribution from African governments to contain the spread of the illness, then that could provoke a backlash towards the Chinese government and expatriates.

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by Eric Olander

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