Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian responded to a few hotspot issues on his regular press conference on June 4, 2020, according to a release on the foreign ministry’s website. The relevant question is shown as below.

China Radio International: Recently, many African leaders have called for the unconditional lifting of sanctions on Sudan and Zimbabwe imposed by the US and several European countries. What is your attitude?

Zhao Lijian: We firmly support the call by African leaders for the unconditional lifting of sanctions that have been imposed on Sudan and Zimbabwe. When COVID-19 is still spreading across the world, the US and several European countries have turned a deaf ear to the calls of African countries and people and maintained their pressure on Sudan and Zimbabwe through unilateral sanctions. This has caused great sufferings for local people and can hardly find any support.

China calls on the relevant countries to heed the calls of the African people, lift illegal sanctions as soon as possible, and make some real contributions to Africa's efforts to defeat the virus and develop the economy.