Following criticisms of its handling of foreign nationals including Nigeria at the behest of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chinese Government has issued new guidelines in Guangdong Province ensuring equal treatments for both locals and foreigners.
The Foreign Affairs Office of Guangdong People’s Government in a document made available to our correspondent, on Wednesday, presented the new measures to the Nigeria Consulates General in Guangzhou to inform the latter of measures on ensuring equal services in nine sectors.
“Guangdong Government has guided competent authorities to formulate specific measures for nine related sectors respectively, i.e. medical institutions, education, catering, transportation, tourist attractions, hospitality, shopping malls and markets, residential communities and house leasing,” the Chinese revealed in the document.
The new measures the Chinese authorities said is to “ensure equal services” noting that ”since the COVID-19 outbreak, governments at all levels in Guangdong have taken comprehensive, strict and thorough prevention and control measures and emphasized law-based and undifferentiated treatment to both Chinese and foreign nationals in implementing prevention and control measures and providing health management services. All foreign nationals in Guangdong are treated equally”.
It further stated that the move is to “provide guidance for grass-root institutions and businesses to comply with the requirements,” noting that ”since the COVID-19 outbreak, governments at all levels in Guangdong have taken comprehensive, strict and thorough prevention and control measures and emphasized law-based and undifferentiated treatment to both Chinese and foreign nationals in implementing prevention and control measures and providing health management services”.
