Reports that China intends to open police stations in some African countries have been heavily slammed by the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania as false.
“You are fabricating stories, not covering news,” the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania argued, referring to the October 19 report shared by BBC Swahili. “This is a vivid case to show how BBC spreads disinformation about China, to divide China-Africa relations. Actually, China and Tanzania enjoy long-lasting friendship in all areas, which cannot be shaken by rumors and slanders”.
The statement came as BBC News Swahili reported that China was allegedly establishing police stations in African countries such as Nigeria, Lesotho and Tanzania in order to curb the criminal activities committed by the Chinese living there.
Pointing out that the western media noted in their story that they were looking for a comment on the behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, the embassy added “Don't you say you are making efforts to get a statement from the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania? We are now waiting for you”.
In the report published on the BBC News Swahili website, it was claimed that the supposed “China's arrangement could be seen as an attack on [Tanzanian] territorial sovereignty”.
The British outlet also referred to local media claims that “between April 2021 and July 2022, [Chinese authorities] persuaded 230,000 Chinese citizens to return to China to face criminal charges over telecommunications and general fraud”.
The information the western media transmitted was obtained from the Nigerian outlet "Vanguard", but the latter has since updated its story, clarifying that an unnamed "top Chinese official" refuted the report.
“There is no such station in Nigeria or everywhere. This is because no sovereign country may allow other countries to establish their own (police) stations on their territory. “Isn’t this common sense?”, the unnamed official said, cited by The Vanguard.
Tanzania's Ambassador to China, Mberwa Kairuki, also confirmed that Tanzania and China currently have no bilateral ties in the field of police forces.