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.