Zambia urged to release 31 arrested Chinese

A Chinese Foreign Ministry official met with a top ranking representative from the Embassy of Zambia in Beijing on Sunday to urge the release of 31 arrested Chinese citizens.

The Zambia Department of Immigration arrested 31 Chinese on Thursday from seven mine companies in the Copperbelt Province for illegally buying copper ore.

During the meeting with Geoffrey Banda, Minister Counsellor at the Zambian embassy, Director-General of the Department of African Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Lin Songtian expressed objection toward the Zambian government’s arrest of the citizens.

Among the group under arrest are a pregnant woman and two malaria patients.

The Chinese foreign ministry official said that the Zambian immigration officials had no convincing evidence on which to make their arrests and also claimed that they failed to prove their identity before arresting the citizens.

Lin also urged the Zambian government to release them as soon as possible and treat them humanely while they are being held.

The Chinese Embassy in Zambia has also held discussions with the Zambian government for the release and has visited the arrested Chinese citizens.

At the time of writing, the Zambian government has released no Chinese citizens.

(GBTIMES)