Ethiopian post shares fake lyrics for song about the alleged plight of Chinese nationals

Chinese workers are heavily involved in the development of infrastructure projects and businesses in Ethiopia following decades of good bilateral relations. A recent Facebook post shared a video of Asian men eating a meal and claimed the background song talked of how they were tired of Ethiopian food and homesick for “cockroaches and ants”. However, the transcribed lyrics are false: AFP Fact Check found that the song by award-winning Chinese artist Chang Chaofan is about courage and fulfilling dreams in a difficult world. It does not mention food or Chinese nationals in foreign countries hankering for home.

The post has been viewed more than 190,000 times and shared over 200 times since it was published on August 9, 2024. 

It includes a 65-second video purportedly showing Chinese citizens eating a staple flatbread known as enjera (also spelt injera) in a restaurant in Ethiopia.

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Screenshot of the false post, taken on August 20, 2024 

In a combination of Amharic and English, the caption claims the “background music” in the clip translates as follows:

“Life in a foreign land is very difficult, 

You will be eager to see rice but mannered to eat enjera,

When will I be back in my homeland,

And enjoy cockroaches and ants as I please.”

Chinese in Ethiopia 

Ethiopia and China have enjoyed over half a century of diplomatic relations (archived here). 

Beijing is the largest source of foreign direct investment and trade in Ethiopia. The strategic cooperation includes the development of railroads, highways, telecommunications, airport terminals and power generation facilities (archived here). 

An estimated 30,000 Chinese nationals live and work in Ethiopia (archived here). 

A 2021 report by GlobalVoices found that conservative Ethiopians perceive Chinese food perceived as a cultural threat (archived here).

Chinese nationals in Ethiopia also contend with stereotypes about their diets consisting of insects and animals like donkeys and rats (archived here). 

However, the claim about the lyrics to the song in the video is false. 

‘Never give up’ 

With help from AFP Fact Check’s Hong Kong bureau, we performed a keyword search in Chinese on some of the lyrics.

This led to a song titled “Never Give Up” by acclaimed Chinese artist Chang Chaofan.

The full track is 3’18” long and was uploaded to YouTube in December 2023 (archived here). 

The edited version on Facebook is about a minute long. The lyrics of this part of the song translates to:

“Walking on the battleground of destiny

Trying to make a living

Toughing out all the hardships

Dreams are always very crazy

But reality is cold

Life has smoothed down the initial drive
Time has shot at me
The world has injured me
Facing all of these difficulties

I will never give up
Who does not dream of a life of glory
Who doesn't dream of being young and wild
I only blame time for being too absurd

I only blame the world for being too cold
Who does not dream of a life of glory

Who doesn't dream of a happy family
The battlefield of war

Is too cruel and arrogant”. 

There is no mention of Chinese expatriates struggling with life in Ethiopia and craving food from home.

AFP Fact Check has yet to confirm where the clip shared in the misleading post was filmed or who the people seen it in it are.