Amidst increasing calls for justice for minorities in China, especially blacks being a subject to increased scrutiny and racial attacks for the recent flare-up in coronavirus cases, an Ethiopian diplomat based in China was denied access to a public shop area sparking outrage on social media.
In a video post, Tseday Getachew Girmaye, previously stationed in Jakarta, now a consul with the Ethiopian consulate in Guangzhou, can be seen as she is denied access while others, locals and a white lady were given access to the shopping area.
When asked for a comment, Ethiopian ambassador to China, Teshome Toga Chanaka confirmed Tseday worked at the Guangzhou office and refused to elaborate when asked about the video in question. “There are several videos in circulation,” he said adding, “The matter was discussed both in Beijing and Guangzhou.”
According to several Chinese nationals The Reporter reached out to, there have also been several random physical and verbal attacks on Chinese nationals in Ethiopia accused of being sources of the virus.
One Chinese citizen based in Addis Ababa, whose identity upon request was made confidential said, part of the actions taken in China, while they are wrong, was based on a video that was heavily circulated when some Africans refused to be quarantined.
“The video shows one African identified as having the virus and being chased as he runs away and a nurse trying to stop him and instead was beaten up by him,” adding, “Mutual condemning of hatred does not solve the issue. What we need to do is improve our financial status. Economy is the basis of respect. The weak side will always complain like the old China, always being treated badly by other countries.”
It can be recalled that there has been growing complaints from Africans in China of services being denied and sudden evictions taking place, leaving many to become homeless attributing the recent flare-up to returning Africans.
This comes as a McDonald’s franchise restaurant posted a warning by its entrance, warning blacks to stay away and having the local American consulate advising African Americans to stay away from Guangzhou, the City where many African entrepreneurs visit for business.
