Amid reports of Africans in Guangzhou being kicked out of their apartments and refused service at even McDonald’s, Chinese diplomats have some explaining to do.

A number of African countries have summoned their Chinese ambassadors for explanations in the wake of the shocking stories out of Guangzhou where renewed coronavirus fears are making life hell for African residents.

Over the past week, Africans in the city have reported being forced to sleep on the street after being evicted from their homes and hotel rooms. Others report being made to take Covid-19 tests despite having no recent travel history, being turned away by businesses, being harassed by quarantine workers, and having their passports seized.

The stories shared on social media have ignited anger back in Africa where countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Kenya have sought face-to-face reassurances from their Chinese ambassadors.

Today I met with the Chinese🇨🇳 Ambassador to Nigeria on the disturbing allegation of ill treatment of Nigerian citizens in China. I showed him the video clip that had made the rounds. He promised to look into it and get back to my office on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/9SUxH0rI7X — Femi Gbajabiamila (@femigbaja) April 10, 2020

Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Chinese Ambassador over to ‘call for his govt to address situation & bring Chinese officials to order over inhumane treatment being meted out to African Nationals’ pic.twitter.com/m5tXYJXF5V — Samira Sawlani (@samirasawlani) April 11, 2020

Moussa Faki, the African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson summoned the Chinese Ambassador to the AU, Liu Yuxi over the inhumane treatment of Africans in China. pic.twitter.com/QnMlR2Bvlx — Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) April 12, 2020

Chinese officials have repeatedly claimed that there is no systemic discrimination at work in the city and that all nationalities are being treated the same.

On Sunday, China Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian again attempted to quell the anger, vowing that China would address the African countries’ “reasonable concerns and legitimate appeals” while appealing to the “unbreakable” bonds of China-Africa friendship.

Chinese people and African people are “partners and brothers through thick and thin,” Zhao declared.

The Chinese embassy in Zimbabwe used a slightly different strategy, pointing towards recent instances of Chinese nationals being mistreated in Zimbabwe because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Instead of making waves with these cases, the Chinese Embassy, Chinese nationals and journalists in Zimbabwe chose to inform the Zimbabwean authorities,” the embassy said. “This is because we do not believe the Zimbabwean government and general population condone such behavior.”

China has zero tolerance for racial discrimination. pic.twitter.com/7s4peoVGS9 — Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe (@ChineseZimbabwe) April 11, 2020

Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying has implied that malevolent foreign forces are at work.

The Chinese government is in close communication with our African brothers to ensure proper handling of the individual case. China-African friendship will never be shaken by wedge-driving attempt. — Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) April 12, 2020

African ambassadors in Beijing, however, are genuinely concerned.

On Friday, they sent a joint letter to China’s Foreign Ministry demanding the “cessation of forceful testing, quarantine and other inhuman treatments meted out to Africans.”

The ambassadors declared that these actions have “no scientific or logical basis” and amount to “racism towards Africans in China.”