2020 in Review: The Impact of the "Guangzhou Incidents"

The China Africa Project

This April's outburst of discrimination against Black and African residents in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou marked a seminal event in China-Africa relations this year. Dozens, possibly hundreds of Black and African residents were evicted from their homes and hotels in mid-April in response to a COVID-19 inspired crackdown by municipal authorities. Images and videos of mostly young African men sleeping on the streets of Guangzhou, being accosted by police, and refused entry to local businesses, most notably at a McDonald's, filled African social media and enraged people across the continent. Those events, now known as "Guangzhou Incidents," drew worldwide attention -- both about what happened in southern China and the Chinese government's response that combined a mix of denial, contrition, and accusations that the U.S. was somehow complicit. While the story made international headlines, few outlets covered it with the depth and nuance than Blacklivity China, an online community dedicated to all aspects of the African diaspora in China. Two of Blacklivity China's managers, Saron Tamerat and Co-Founder Runako Celina join Eric & Cobus to share their reflections on the "Guangzhou Incidents" and what impact it had on the larger China-Africa relationship. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject Twitter: @eolander | @stadenesque | @RunakoCelina | @saron_tamerat FOLLOW BLACKLIVITY CHINA: Web: blacklivitychina.com | Twitter: @blacklivitycn | Instagram: @blacklivitychina | Facebook: @BlackLivityChina SUBSCRIBE TO THE CAP'S DAILY EMAIL NEWSLETTER: Your subscription supports independent journalism. Subscribers get the following: 1. A daily email newsletter of the top China-Africa news. 2. Access to the China-Africa Experts Network 3. Unlimited access to the CAP's exclusive analysis content on chinaafricaproject.com Try it out for two weeks free: www.chinaafricaproject.com/subscribe