The President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani warned on Wednesday that Africa is under risk of becoming a Chinese colony, a claim that China's foreign ministry disagreed with, offering proof and evidence to suggest otherwise and refute his claim.
The Italian politician made the claim when talking about African immigrants in his country with Die Welt, a German national newspaper. He said "Africa risks becoming a Chinese colony, but the Chinese need only natural resources, they’re not interested in stability."
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang called Tajani's comment "shocking" and "illogical", during a regular press conference on Friday.
Lu Kang hosts a regular press conference on March 31, 2017. /MOFA Photo
"I advise him to talk after learning some basic facts, which may make his comment sound more serious," Lu said.
"The concept of colonialism does not exist in China's foreign policy," Lu added.
Tajani told Die Welt that he was concerned that as many as 30 million African immigrants would be coming to Europe in the next ten years, potentially deepening the ongoing European migrant crisis.
He said the solution is to invest "billions of Euros" into Africa and develop a "long-term strategy".
Concerning investing in Africa, Lu Kang said he agreed with Tajani's plan, despite all the "colonizing" comments, to which Lu voiced his opposition.
China announced on Thursday plans to donate one million US dollars to help flood victims in Zimbabwe. /Xinhua Photo
He further pointed out that it was Europe, not China, that actually colonized Africa before the people there fought for independence.
"China's aid to Africa didn't start recently. It started since the beginning of the People's Republic, when China itself was in deep poverty," Lu said.
"It was the anti-colonialism movement that contributed to the bond between China and Africa," Lu added.
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