A Yuexiu District Government Official Yan Qiang today (April 7th, 2020) condemned speculation that “there are 300,000 Africans living in Yuexiu District” as someone had falsely claimed online.

A file photo shows expats visit a store in Dengfeng Neighborhood, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou. (Photo: Liang Wenxiang)

According to the latest data, in total there are currently a mere 3,462 expats living in Yuexiu including those residing in hotels, rentals and other venues.

The top five countries represented by Yuexiu’s expats are in fact the United States (350 people), Mali (308 people), Nigeria (227 people), Canada (208 people) and Australia (200 people).

How many expats are there in Guangzhou? According to the statistics released by the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau on July 17th, 2019, there were as of then around 83,400 expats living in Guangzhou, including 55,000 classified as permanent residents, who had been living in Guangzhou for more than 6 months at that point.

A file photo shows expats take part in the Yuexiu Temple Fair parade in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou. (Photo: Liang Wenxiang)

Guangzhou police investigate rumor spreader

According to a statement released by the press office of the Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau today (April 7th), on April 6th Yuexiu District Police launched an investigation into rumors such as ‘Guangzhou Yaotai Community lockdown’ and ‘fangcang shelter hospitals being built’ published by a netizen surnamed Song in a group chat on WeChat.

After preliminary investigation, Song (male, 35 years old, Guangzhou local, username: 船长) swiftly admitted that he posted false reports in the group chat on April 6th which led to rumors spreading virally on social media, causing unrest and suspicion. The case is now under further investigation, and the police will deal with it in accordance with the law.

The police hope that all residents play a positive role in supporting the continued fight against COVID-19, do not publish unverified information, and must under no circumstances seek to create or spread rumours.

Author: Monica Liu

Editors: Simon Haywood, Keane Wong