China urges Zambia to release detained 31 Chinese nationals

The Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Yang Youming has urged the Zambia side to release 31detained Chinese nationals as soon as possible, and to handle the incident appropriately.

According to the Chinese Embassy to Zambia, Yang is going to meet with the minister of Zambia's internal affairs.

31 Chinese employees working for seven Chinese mining companies in Zambia were detained for suspicious illegal mining.

However, Zambia has not only failed to provide strong proof of the crimes the 31 detained are accused of, but had also detained a pregnant woman and two victims of malaria, said Lin Songtian, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's director-general for African affairs.

Bail request rejected for pregnant woman among 31 Chinese detainees in Zambia