South Africa's Independent Online (IOL) published on 6 December 2023 an article titled "Lessons from Xinjiang: ANC Says It Is Taking Notes, Following China's Development Footsteps" by Jonisayi Maromo.
A national executive committee member from the African National Congress (ANC), South Africa's ruling party, said at a seminar on Xinjiang Province hosted by the Chinese embassy that China's ethnic minorities have enjoyed the best years in the last two decades in terms of economic and social development, ethnic unity, culture, education and protection of religious beliefs. The article sang the praises of China's policies in Xinjiang Province and its treatment of the Uyghur population.
Comment: China International Television Corporation and the China Africa Development Fund have a 20 percent ownership stake in Independent Online and many of its South African journalists have been trained in China. This is one of the ways that China works to ensure favorable coverage of Chinese issues in the African press. In this regard, the ANC is one of the most compliant African political parties.
