There are some accusations stigmatizing China made by the international media recently. Coming from a sense of superiority, adopted by some American politicians and media agencies since the outbreak of the pandemic to demonize and stigmatize China, they are now describing Westerners as victims of discrimination in China. Those reports even said that Africans, who historically have a deep friendship with the Chinese, have been subjected to acts of "racism" in China.

The fact is that some of China's supermarkets, gyms, bars, hotels and other public places do not allow people to enter in groups, neither Chinese nor foreigners, as a measure of pandemic prevention and control. Also, a quarantine period is in place for people entering the country, including Chinese and foreigners. China is still implementing strict control measures, with a focus on controlling imported cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), to prevent a resurgence of the disease. All these measures are implemented in accordance with the law.

Chinese people and the majority of foreigners in China strictly observe these measures. However, some foreigners do not understand their importance and refuse to abide by them. In extreme cases, they resist these measures by refusing to allow social workers to take their temperature and insulting and even assaulting them. There were also cases of foreigners who jumped the queue to take COVID-19 tests and asked the Chinese waiting in line to get out of the testing room. The misbehavior of some foreigners aroused anger among the Chinese and, as a result, irrational remarks were made on social media. Based on these remarks, a handful of Western politicians and media agencies accused China of "xenophobia" and "discrimination" against foreigners.

What these politicians and media agencies don't say is that the vast majority of Chinese hold a rational and objective opinion on these misbehaving foreigners. With a netizen population of around 900 million in China, it is inevitable that there will be different voices and some inappropriate remarks. However, the remarks made by a few do not represent China's mainstream public opinion. It is therefore unfair to make accusations against China based on these isolated remarks.

The global spread of COVID-19 has shown that the coronavirus respects no borders, nor does it discriminate between races or skin colors. It is a common enemy of humankind, and fighting it requires everyone to take part. Abiding by pandemic prevention measures is what responsible individuals should do to safeguard themselves and society at large.

The control measures taken by the Chinese Government, including treating the infected, are equally applicable to both Chinese and foreigners in the country. The Chinese Government has always attached great importance to the safety and health, among other lawful rights and interests, of foreigners in China.

The vast majority of foreigners in China approve of China's effective efforts in fighting the pandemic. They fully cooperate with the prevention and control measures, and many have expressed their heartfelt thanks for the care and attention they received in China. Chinese people are also touched by the stories of foreigners who stood with them at their most difficult times by volunteering to join in the local fight against the pandemic.

Many Africans live and work in Guangdong Province in south China. When the provincial government escalated control measures for everyone coming from abroad in accordance with the country's policy to control imported cases, it was inevitable that many Africans would be involved.

China and Africa are good friends and partners. The China-Africa friendship has been built on decades of cooperation in the fight for national independence and liberation, economic growth and a better livelihood for the people. It is a valuable legacy shared by Chinese and African people, and its development will not be stopped by the futile attempt of some Western politicians and media agencies to provoke conflict between the two.

The term racism was introduced in China only in modern times. China opposes all forms of discrimination and prejudice.

China's achievement in containing COVID-19 is hard earned. In the face of increasing pressure from imported infections, China has to tighten its measures to reinforce pandemic prevention and block all loopholes that may lead to a second outbreak. These measures are not targeted at any specific group of people. They are to safeguard not only Chinese, but all foreigners in China. Therefore, we hope that all foreigners in China will strictly abide by the laws of the country and local regulations for pandemic prevention and control. Let's work together to combat the epidemic and defend our and others' health and safety.

(Original Title: Equal Treatment for All)

Copyedited by Francisco Little

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