The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana says his government does not take allegations of inhumane treatment meted out to Africans in China lightly.

Shi Ting Wang said the reports are serious, considering how well his government ensures that Africans are welcome and treated just like any other Chinese citizen.

Speaking when he presented Ramadan gifts to the National Chief Imam in Accra from where JoyNews, Piesie Nana Yaw Safo reports, Mr Wang said “China welcomes all foreigners. China makes a solemn commitment that no one will be discriminated against.

“China treats Africans in China as our own people and we treat African students in China as our own children.”

The African community in the Chinese province of Guangzhou have shared on social media how they have been left homeless in the past couple of days, after China’s warnings against imported coronavirus cases stocked anti-foreigner sentiment.

Reports suggest that in the southern Chinese city, Africans have been evicted from their homes by landlords and turned away from hotels, despite many claiming to have no recent travel history or known contact with Covid-19 patients.

The dozens of Africans resident in Guangzhou said, they have been left without a home and subjected to random testing for Covid-19 and being quarantined for 14 days in their homes despite having no symptoms or contact with known patients.

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has condemned the “ill-treatment and racial discrimination” of Ghanaians and other African nationals in China.

But Mr Wang says the issue has been blown out of proportion by the media and other social media users.

He, however, indicated that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the situation and will carry out investigations at the earliest of time.

He stressed that “it is our responsibility to protect the safety and health of all African friends in China…a friend in need is a friend indeed," he said, adding “we prioritise the safety of the more than 3,000 students in the Hubei province.”

“They are safe and sound except for one confirmed case who was treated and has recovered very quickly,” he disclosed.

Stressing on Ghana’s diplomatic relations with China, Mr Wang said as the two countries celebrate 60 years of that partnership, as long as there is unity, “there can be no difficulty that will overwhelm us.

"I believe that a strong effort of the Chinese and African people, and with the support of the international community, we will overcome the pandemic as soon as possible,” he added.

The Ambassador made a donation worth GH₵110,000 to the National Chief Imam. The items included 2,000 bags of rice, 3,000 face masks for the Muslim community and 3,000 litres of cooking oil.

The donation is form the Chinese Embassy and Chinese community in Ghana.