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In the Aftermath of Guangzhou, Perceptions of China Sour Among African Civil Society

by Eric Olander
A tweet this week by Nairobi-based Horn of Africa researcher Rashid Abdi to his 32,000+ followers about the sense of disenchantment with China among a growing number of Africans, following the recent events in Guangzhou.

Chinese efforts to contain the fallout from the recent crisis in Guangzhou appear increasingly ineffectual among a large, and growing, swathe of Africans.

Beijing has mounted a robust diplomatic and media campaign to persuade the continent’s governing class that allegations of mistreatment of and discrimination against African residents in Guangzhou emanated from poor communication and overly-zealous local health authorities eager to contain a resurgent COVID-19 outbreak. But those efforts have seemingly fallen flat with African publics, the media, and a wide range of civil society groups.

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