The Zambian government has agreed to release 31 Chinese nationals it was detaining on the Copperbelt after China’s diplomatic efforts to help repatriate the individuals it claims were held through selective enforcement.
According to Red Star News, a Chinese online publication, Chinese embassy staffers said Zambia agreed to release the Chinese detainees after China’s Ambassador to Zambia Yang Youming worked with Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo.
“Zambia agreed to release all the 31 Chinese nationals, and the Zambian government won’t prosecute them. But all 31 have to leave Zambia today, with no exceptions,” the report said.
The 31 Chinese have not been expelled and can return to Zambia in the future, it said, adding that the information still needs to be confirmed.
Zambia detained the Chinese nationals working for a Chinese company and accused them of illegal mining in the country’s copper belt. But the authorities failed to provide strong proof of their crimes, the Foreign Ministry has said.
“The government has always asked Chinese companies and citizens to respect the laws of the countries where they operate and does not shield illegal action,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular news briefing on Monday.
“But China opposes selective law-enforcement actions against its citizens,” she said.
She said the Chinese embassy sent a working group to urge Zambia to improve treatment of the detained.
Lin Songtian, the ministry’s director-general of the Department of African Affairs, told a senior Zambian diplomat on Sunday that China understands and supports actions against illegal mining.
However, Zambia had failed to provide strong proof of criminal activity by the 31 workers and held a pregnant woman and two malaria patients, Lin said.
China hoped Zambia would handle the incident according to the law appropriately and release the workers, Lin said.
The Zambian diplomat said his country cherishes its relations with China and will closely cooperate with China to properly handle the case.
New colonial power exercise his financial and territorial power?
The laziness of black African men is astounding! They have failed to develop the African continent, run away to Western countries where white men have spectacularly built great economies and infrastructure for their women and children and now they are inviting the Chinese to develop their dark continent! What kind of men are you that have no pride in your bones? Bunda bwakufyala and passing on HIV all in the while waiting for the white man to feed your children and give you ARV’s!
How come they have found it easy to intervene in this case whereas, they claim it’s illegal to intervene in the HH case? What’s do special or different about the chinese? Is this evidence of self contradiction?
This is right thing to have done.
Well done and please keep HH in there
Thanks
BB2014,2016
HH would not have done this since he is a coward.
Whats important is to keep him behind bars.
Unfortunately this is what happens if you keep borrowing and keep receiving grants. They control you and you obey. Very unfair to all Zambians arrested in a similar way.
corruption! kapyongo should also release HH…
we demand the release of HH…
Where are those fooools who like singing about sovereignity??
@Mushota you are just an *****. i also have a PhD. Well I’m actually a medical doctor
a sad day again where Zambia fails to enforce laws on foreign criminals
Really laughable..”individuals it claims were held through selective enforcement”…sounds familar!!
He who pays the piper calls the tune.Am yet to hear what the president will say about foreign countries meddling in our affairs.
uuuummm so they were detained without sufficient evidence..???
i know someone who is in detention with a crime that cannot be substantiated ..
I thought zambia is a ……………state,and nobody should ……………in our internal affairs because the ………will take its course.
please fill in the blank spaces.
George Orwell “All Animal’s are Equal but some animals are more equal than others. “
This story is some how trick something going on to a person who’s intelligent/ high IQ
he is afraid of his own shadow.too much borrowing from the choncholi ba chagwa…
Very shameful indeed. Where is the rule of law in Zambia gone to?
Power and money
Hehehe hehehe
Lungu is in the chinamans pocket. If they say fart , he has to fart……
GOD HAVE MERCY ON MOTHER ZAMBIA AND THE CITIZENS THERE OF.
FOR THERE SLUMBER IS A DOOM.
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO BE INDEPENDENT IN ZAMBIA AND BE ABLE TO DO THINGS ON OUR OWN.
THESE CHINESE NATIONALS WERE ARRESTED BECAUSE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY HAD INFORMATION
WHICH GAVE THEM THE REASON TO ARREST OR ARE TELLING US THAT ARRESTING THESE GUYS WAS A MISTAKE.COME ON PEOPLE WA ARE A SOVEREIGN NATION.
A begger will always be a slave..Col. Thomas Sankara preached to you but you never listened.
Meanwhile the main opposition party president has spent 60 days in prison on trumped up charges.
HH needs chinese peoples support NOT The DA party of SA , china would have forced PF to release him along time ago. Just like these chinese criminals a split of a second they are out of prison hahaha..and we are even accused of not showing enough evidence hahaha…this is a cooked up story the police has enough evidence but kampyongo and PF cooked the reason so as to show that china has a point but we look fools
Again i repeat the current police IG has to go! incompetence in the police of today is alarming to say the least. Someone new needs to come in and bring back ‘sanity’ in the police service. Surely how do you arrest people and fail to substantiate the charges? No investigations and no proof, you arrest people, this is another embarrassment on the many embarrassments under this IG. You arrest people and then you start hopping for a confession to take to court really? Release those people already if you had evidence you would have gone to court by now!
You chaps China and Zambia have long historical ties. They built the TAZARA for you at great cost to their country and workers (soldiers who they disguised as civilians!). Those things matter!! Here is South Africa, Zambians are treated well compared to other nationals, because of historical ties!! Just learn to live and do business with the Chinese, your brothers!!
Walasa
Tazara was not free, it was a loan which Zambia is still paying for! Please blog with intelligence!
Mwape, Since you are talking about money, how much were the lives of Chinese workers that were killed building the TAZARA? I was talking about relations and not money Mr Intelligent.
I empathise with the loss of life but Zambia was not responsible and the money is still being paid.
FYI 64 Chinese nationals died building the TAZARA. China has been reaching out for some time.
State Capture!
Ati Zambia is a sovereign state? What about a Zambian jailed for stealing a chicken? These Chinese broke the law and should have jailed and deported NEVER to show their faces again. Grow some b@lls Kampyongo. How can you invite lawbreakers back? Why?
If Zambian law enforcers can easily release Chinese law breakers, the it is possible for therm to release great HH especially with so much international outcry.
They will come back in different names.
They First Arrest And Latter Do Investigations. I thought Thats The Same Way They Arrested Hh.
And Whenever Someone Outside The Country Call For The Release Of Hh, They Shout About Sovereignity And Rule Of Law. But Because Their Bank(china) Have Called For The Release Of Its Citizens U Fail To Enforce Yo Law And Talk About Sovereignity. Because You Have Borrowed Alot Frm Them They Are Now Telling You Wat To Do. Isnt That Interfearence that U Dont Want? Come On Zambia Where Is Our Sovereignity?