China, Ongoing Trend of Hate Crimes Against Foreigners
Controversy Over Influencer Insulting Japanese at Tourist Sites
Even Staff Who Came to Stop It Say "I Hate Japanese"
As hate crimes against foreigners continue in China, a video of a famous influencer openly disparaging Japanese people has sparked controversy. On the 10th, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported, "On the 7th, two Japanese tourists were harassed at Yuanmingyuan, the Qing Dynasty imperial garden and a famous tourist spot in China."
Chinese influencer Wang Hong (left) pointing a finger at the guide leading the Japanese group. [Image source=X capture]
At the time, a tour guide escorting the Japanese tourists asked Wanghong, an influencer active in China under the name 'Ain (亞人)', to step aside briefly to take photos. Wanghong refused and asked, "Are you from Japan? I just heard Japanese; are you Japanese?" Upon learning they were Japanese, Wanghong provocatively said, "Are you asking me to step aside for Japanese?" When the guide replied, "Can't you even ask politely?" Wanghong argued, "You shouldn't say that in Yuanmingyuan." Yuanmingyuan still has ruins destroyed by foreign troops in 1860.
Although a staff member appeared amid the commotion, the situation worsened. The staff did not stop Wanghong and reportedly supported her by saying, "(Japanese) are not allowed in. We hate Japanese. I also agree with getting rid of those guys."
The video containing this content quickly spread on X (formerly Twitter), causing controversy. Even Chinese netizens criticized Wanghong, saying, "Blocking photos without reason is inappropriate," and "It damages the image of a great nation." Moreover, Wanghong's platform ID 'Ain' is known to be derived from a Japanese anime character, adding to the absurdity. As the controversy grew and suspicions arose that Wanghong committed crimes while studying in the United States, hundreds of videos on her account were rapidly deleted.
There have been previous instances of hate speech and crimes against foreigners. In March, two Dutch journalists covering protests in Sichuan Province were assaulted, and in June, four American university lecturers were threatened with weapons by a Chinese man in a park in Jilin City. In the same month, a man armed with a weapon attacked a woman and her son waiting for a Japanese school bus in Jiangsu Province.
Regarding this, Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to related questions at a regular briefing on the 9th, saying, "We do not know the specific situation and do not comment on individual actions," dismissing it as an individual's behavior. He also emphasized, "China is an open and inclusive country," and "We do not discriminate against any particular country."
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