McDonald’s China apologises over banning black people in Guangzhou

No McDonald’s in China for some. pic.twitter.com/33wEkrot8A

— BlackManJapan (@BlackManJapan1) April 14, 2020

McDonald’s also said that the ban on black people was “not representative of our inclusive values” and that it had conducted “diversity and inclusion” training in the branch.

The Guangdong provincial government also called out the incident but maintained that China and Africa are good friends. It said that it attached “great importance to some African countries’ concerns and is working promptly to improve” its way of operating, BBC reported.

This is not the first case of racial discrimination against the black community in China in recent times. Last week, hundreds of Africans in Guangzhou were evicted from hotels and apartments after online rumours that coronavirus was spreading among African people, community leaders told the BBC.

Health workers have reportedly gone door-to-door testing Africans for the coronavirus – whether or not they show any symptoms, have travelled or have been in contact with COVID-19 patients.

Guangzhou is home to the largest African community in China, mostly traders from the African nations.