China has drawn international criticism after reports of racism have emerged from the country. According to media reports, African expatriates have been mistreated and evicted from their homes over fears that they could spread the next wave of coronavirus in China, the country where the virus first emerged.

African ambassadors took cognizance of the matter on Saturday and wrote to China’s foreign ministry to investigate the issue and stop the prejudice against Africans, Aljazeera reported.

According to a report by France 24, Africans in the industrial centre of China, said they have become targets of suspicion and subjected to forced evictions, arbitrary quarantines, and mass coronavirus testing, particularly since Beijing is focused on the fight against imported infections.

The US also condemned China’s racial outlook on the spread of the virus and called it "xenophobia towards Africans by Chinese authorities."

The alleged discrimination by locals and virus-prevention officials comes after recent cases in the country were reportedly traced back to the Nigerian community in Guangzhou. .

Succumbing to international pressure, China on Sunday vowed to prevent the discriminatory measures taken by the authorities in Guangzhou against Africans. China also rejected all "racist and discriminatory" remarks.

"The Chinese government has been attaching great importance to the life and health of foreign nationals in China," Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in a statement.

Zhao further stressed on the deepening ties between China and Africa and added: "China-Africa friendship is unbreakable as it is deeply rooted in this land.”

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