Uganda retracts diplomat allegation

China commended the clarification Uganda made on Wednesday, in which the African country's Foreign Ministry said that Chinese diplomats were not involved in ivory smuggling and that the Ugandan government is committed to strengthening ties with China.

According to previous media reports, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni ordered an investigation into the country's Wildlife Authority and two "Chinese diplomats" for alleged collusion in ivory smuggling.

However, the Ugandan Foreign Ministry, said in a statement issued on Monday that it has confirmed, "following a thorough review of its records", that the two Chinese named "are not accredited diplomats" of the Chinese embassy in Uganda.