China World
BBC’s ‘Racism for Sale’ Documentary Triggers Discussions and Censorship on Chinese Social Media
Weibo discussions on ‘Racism for Sale’ documentary: “BBC is maliciously hyping up the issue.”
A video in which a group of African children dressed in red are happily chanting Chinese slogans made international headlines back in early 2020. Although the video might have seemed cheerful at first to those who don’t know Chinese, it is actually racist and exploitative.
The children are energetically repeating what someone else is telling them to say, while holding up a blackboard with the phrase they are chanting written out: “I am a black devil. My IQ is low” (“我是黑鬼, 智商低”).
The video was initially posted on Chinese social media on February 10th, 2020, sparking some controversy within China. It later started to attract international attention after Ghanaian vlogger Wode Maya, who studied in China, spoke out about it on his YouTube channel in a video on February 16th which has since been viewed nearly 200,000 times.
The video featuring the African children shocked people from all over the world and led to some media outlets looking further into the context. In April of 2020, France 24 Observers reporters investigated the video and shed light on a wider Chinese market for videos recorded in Africa with locals.
These type of videos are reportedly made by Africa-based Chinese nationals who give the children some money or food in return to perform for personalized videos, which are then sold via Chinese online platforms.
The videos often include birthday greetings or other personalized messages, but as the aforementioned example shows, sometimes also contains far more sinister content. In another video, the children were made to say they promised they’d never go to China.
There had been controversy over these kinds of videos before. As reported by France 24 Observers, such videos have been circulating on Chinese social media since 2015. In 2017, Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao already closed a few accounts selling such content.
This month, the racist video issue has been brought back to the forefront again due to BBC Africa Eye releasing its “Racism for Sale” documentary, in which reporters Runako Celina and Henry Mhango further investigate and expose the Chinese video-making industry that exploits vulnerable children across Africa. They traced the Weibo video and dozens of others back to one Chinese national living in Malawi, and then confronted him (watch the BBC documentary here).
Image of the Chinese national making the videos. (Via Yahoo).
On Weibo, the ‘Racism for Sale’ documentary also triggered discussions, but instead of focusing on the racist videos, they were generally more focused on the BBC documentary’s narrative and its intentions, and about anti-Black racism within China.
The influential Weibo channel Diba Guanwei (@帝吧官微), which has over 1,5 million followers, called out the documentary in a Weibo post for purposely wanting to meddle in China-Africa relations. It said that the Chinese man recording such videos and insulting African people was indeed a problem, but that it was too much to suggest that this is all about Chinese people exploiting Africans.
Other Weibo users denounced the Chinese man for making such videos, with one popular account suggesting that this person might have intentionally shot these videos to “hurt the friendship between Africa and China,” and that he should be severely punished for it.
One thing that some people jumped on is how a racist Weibo account named “Black People Joke Club” (黑人笑话社) is featured in the documentary for being the first Weibo account to post the video of the African children. Popular nationalist blogging account Guaguashuashi (@呱呱傻事) suggested that BBC Africa used the supposedly insignificant account to make a big story and stir up anger among Africans. Moreover, the account also claimed that the man identified as ‘Lu Ke’ (卢克) who was making the children chant and dance for the video actually had a Taiwanese accent. Guahuashashi’s post received over 2000 likes and more than 300 comments.
The “Black People Joke Club” (黑人笑话社) Weibo account was previously shut down. In light of the recent BBC documentary, other accounts publishing racist content have also been removed, including an account titled “That Guangzhou Guy” (那个广州人). Words such as ‘black devil’ have also been censored and come up with zero results on Weibo now. Images included in discussions of the BBC documentary have also been censored.
Censored images in a post about BBC’s ‘Racism for Sale.’
At time of writing, some content related to the “Black People Joke Club” or other racist accounts is still available on Weibo due to other social media users previously tagging these accounts when posting their own content. There are also still many Weibo groups, topics, and hashtags where people share racist jokes and memes. Many of these posts feature racist jokes about the N-word, blackface, or other stereotyping and derogatory content.
Although some Weibo bloggers blame the BBC for attracting more attention to the old racist video, there are also those who point out that there is indeed a problem with anti-Black racism among Chinese: “Some people in China are really discriminating against black people. Whenever there are women online who post about their happy life with their black husband, they are often cursed on by some men. I think there are really a lot of racist people in our country,” one Weibo commenter wrote.
Another popular comment by a Weibo account from Jiangxi said that some Chinese are hypocritical to deny their own racist rhetoric against black people and are loudly calling out America for anti-Black racism, while also being quick to call something ‘discrimination of Chinese people’ whenever they feel something is insulting to China.
The issue of anti-Black racism on Chinese social media has often popped up, turning into trending discussions, especially when it is about foreign media reporting on it. In 2021, a Chinese influencer came under fire after a video of her doing a blackface makeup tutorial resurfaced online. A Chinese Vtuber (virtual influencer) on Bilibili also stirred controversy for being blatantly racist and forcing her (virtual) ‘slave’ to go and pick cotton.
In 2016, social media exploded in light of a Chinese ad campaign for washing detergent brand Qiaobi (俏比) which featured a black man turning into a Chinese man after being ‘washed.’ Although the commercial initially did not receive much attention in China, the international media coverage eventually sparked major discussions on Chinese social media for being racist.
An Africa-themed skit performed during the 2018 CCTV Gala was meant to promote China-African relations, but instead it received backlash for featuring a Chinese actress wearing blackface and being accompanied by someone costumed as a monkey.
The Chinese Qiaobi commercial drew much controversy for being racist in 2016.
The ‘Racism for Sale’ video has not just triggered discussions on Weibo, it has also become a diplomatic issue. On June 13, Malawi’s Foreign Minister Nancy Tembo shared a video via Twitter addressing the matter, adding that she felt “disgusted, disrespected and deeply pained” because of the video industry exposed by BBC Africa.
The Chinese Embassy in Malawi condemned the videos in a Twitter post on June 13. Wu Peng, China’s Director-General of the Foreign Ministry Department of African Affairs, met with Minister Nancy Tembo a day later, and stated on Twitter that both China and Malawi have “zero tolerance for racism” and that China will continue to crack down on such racial discrimination videos in the future.
A Weibo account dedicated to the overseas Chinese community in Malawi has not posted anything about the BBC documentary nor the videos discussed in it.
Also read: Chinese social media responses to the Western anti-racism movement after Floyd’s death.
By Federica Giampaolo and Manya Koetse
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China Food & Drinks
Where to Eat and Drink in Beijing: Yellen’s Picks
From Yunnan classics to fusion cuisine, these are Janet Yellen’s picks for dining and drinking in Beijing.
Janet Yellen, the United States Secretary of the Treasury, seems to have some excellent advisors, at least when it comes to choosing spots for food and drinks in Beijing.
Yellen just concluded her second trip to Beijing within a year, and once again, it’s not her official talks but rather her choices in food and drink venues that are sparking discussion on social media.
Her initial visit to Beijing was in July 2023, during which she held meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and other officials.
This time, from April 4th to 9th, Yellen’s agenda included engagements with top Chinese officials in both Guangzhou and Beijing. The primary focus was on addressing ongoing bilateral tensions and managing trade relations between the US and China. In addition to official meetings, Yellen also met up with students and business leaders.
Yellen’s selection of bars and restaurants drew interest online. Yellen is known to be a food enthusiast, and likes to visit local restaurants wherever she goes.
In Guangzhou, Yellen dined at Taotaoju (陶陶居), a renowned Cantonese restaurant where she had roast goose and shrimp dumplings.
If you’re curious about the places she visited in Beijing during her first and second trip, check out our short ‘Yellen’s Beijing’ list below.
‘In & Out’ Yunnan Restaurant
Yellen at Yizuo Yiwang, photos via Weibo.
● Name: ‘In and Out’ in English, Chinese name: Yī Zuò Yī Wàng 一坐一忘
● Specialty: Yunnan cuisine
● Notable: Yellen visited this local favorite near Beijing’s embassy area in the summer of 2023. Among other things, Yellen was served spicy potatoes with mint and stir-fried mushrooms, leading to online jokes about how the food would affect her. The mushroom dish that she had is called jiànshǒuqīng (见手青), which literally means “see hand blue”, in reference to turning blue when handled. It is the lanmaoa asiatica mushroom species that grows in China’s Yunnan region known for its hallucinogenic properties (when treated and cooked properly, they don’t cause hallucinations read more here). After Yellen’s visit, ‘In & Out’ used it as part of their marketing strategy and the restaurant released a special ‘Treasury Menu’ (or ‘God of Wealth’ Menu 财神菜单), promoting themselves as the first place where Yellen had dinner during her Beijing visit.
● Price: Dishes range from 38 yuan ($5) to 298 yuan ($41)
● Address: Chaoyang, Sanlitun Beixiaojie 1 / 朝阳区三里屯北小街1号
Grand Hyatt’s ‘Made in China’
Yellen’s lunch at the Grand Hatt, image via Weibo.
● Name: ‘Made in China’ in English, Chinese name: Cháng’ān Yī Hào 长安壹号餐厅
● Specialty: Northern Chinese cuisine, including Peking duck / Fusion
● Notable: This is the venue where Yellen had lunch with a group of female economists and entrepreneurs in July of 2023 (you can see the speech she gave during lunch here). She apparently likes this restaurant a lot, since she visited it again for dinner on April 8 of this year. For her 2023 lunch, we know that Yellen ordered steamed fish head with chopped pepper (剁椒鱼头). The famous Hunan dish was among the most expensive dishes on a special menu (850 yuan/$117) for Yellen’s visit at the time. This time around, she also had Peking Duck. The award-winning Made in China restaurant, which is simply called “Chang’an no 1” in Chinese (after its address, 长安壹号餐厅), has been around for two decades, and the Beijing head chef Jin Qiang has been there from the start – he has since welcomed numerous heads of state and government leaders from around the world.
● Price: Appetizers start from 58 yuan ($8), seafood dishes around 500 yuan (69 yuan), Peking Duck 388 yuan ($53)
● Address: Grand Hyatt, Dongcheng, 1 East Chang’An Avenue / 东长安街1号东方广场
Lao Chuan Ban
Yellen at Chuan Ban, image via Dianping.
● Name: Chuan Ban, Chinese name: 川办餐厅 aka ‘Lao Chuan Ban’ (Old Chuan Ban 老川办)
● Specialty: Sichuan food
● Notable: Chuan Ban, established as part of the Sichuan provincial government office and open to the public since 1995, is renowned for its authentic Sichuan cuisine. During her visit to Beijing, Yellen and her group dined at this famous restaurant on April 6 this year. They enjoyed a variety of dishes including Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐), Sichuan-style cold noodles (四川凉面), clear noodles in chili sauce (川北凉粉), smashed cucumber salad (拍黃瓜), and Zhong dumpings in spicy sauce (钟水饺).
● Price：Dumplings for 18 yuan ($2.5), beef noodles for 16 yuan ($2.2), salt and pepper shrimp for 46 yuan ($6.3), fried lamb chops for 188 yuan ($26) – there’s something for everyone in different price ranges.
● Address: Dongcheng, 5 Gongyuan Toutiao, Jianguomennei Dajie / 东城区建国门内贡院头条5号
Jing-A Brewery
Yellen having a beer, image via Weibo.
● Name: Jing-A Brewery, Chinese name: 京A
● Specialty: Craft beer
● Notable: After five days of meetings during her 2024 China visit, Janet Yellen enjoyed a beer together with US ambassador Nicholas Burns at Jing-A, a brewery founded by wo Beijing-based American friends in 2012. In one of her tweets, Yellen explained that the microbrewery imports American hops for their beers — “a small representation of how the U.S.-China bilateral economic relationship can benefit both sides” (link).
● Price：Beers starting at 35 yuan ($4.8), snack dishes starting at 58 yuan ($8)
● Address: Jing-A Brewpub Xingfucun, Chaoyang， 57 Xingfucun Zhong Lu, Chaoyang, Beijing / 朝阳区幸福村中路57号
By Manya Koetse
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China Media
Party Slogan, Weibo Hashtag: “The Next China Will Still Be China”
The “next China” phrase has become part of Party jargon without being clearly defined, leaving it open to various interpretations.
Over the past week, the Two Sessions have dominated news topics on Chinese social media. On March 7, a hashtag promoted by Party newspaper People’s Daily became top trending: “Wang Yi Says the Next China Will Still Be China” (#王毅说下一个中国还是中国#).
The hashtag refers to statements made by China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi (王毅), also member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, during a press conference held alongside the Second Session of the 14th National People’s Congress.
In his opening remarks to Chinese and foreign media, Wang emphasized that China’s role in a time of geopolitical unrest and shifting international relations will be one of peacekeeper, pillar, and progressor.
The Wang Yi quote is promoted by ChinaDaily on social media.
Wang’s comment about “next China” was a response to a question about China’s economic development, modernization, and diplomacy strategies. Wang replied that China remains a vital engine of growth. His comment that “the next China is still China” appeared to highlight China’s enduring importance on the world stage despite ongoing changes domestically. Wang mentioned the emergence of new industries, businesses, and increased international engagement as evidence of China’s ongoing evolution.
Wang also warned that “expressing pessimistic views about China will inevitably backfire, and misjudging China will result in missed opportunities” (“唱衰中国必将反噬自身，误判中国就将错失机遇”).
However, he did not elaborate on the specific meaning of his “next China” phrase, which is typical for Communist Party catchphrases and slogans that can often be interpreted in various ways across different contexts.
The “Next China Will Still Be China” Phrase
The phrase “the next China will still be China” has become more prominent in Chinese state media, from Xinhua to CCTV, since November 2023.
President Xi Jinping first introduced it during the San Francisco APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, stating that “China has already become synonymous with the best investment destination; the next ‘China’ is still China” (“中国已经成为最佳投资目的地的代名词，下一个‘中国’，还是中国”). The quote had previously come up in various investment and business communities.
The quote gained further traction when CCTV turned it into a hashtag on Weibo, emphasizing the message of “choosing China is choosing the future (“#下一个中国还是中国#, 选择中国就是选择未来”). It was also used by Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin during one of the regular press conferences.
The slogan was also the central theme of a recent speech held by academic and China expert Martin Jacques for the state media initiated TED-like ‘China Talk’ series. Jacques’ talk, simply titled “The next ‘China’ is still China,” reflects on China’s transformation over the past 75 years from poverty to a global leading economy. Jacques emphasizes China’s unique ‘civilizational roots’ and its different approach to modernization compared to the West, which consists of nation states. He asserts that despite all the major transformations China has seen and is about to see, China’s fundamental characteristics will remain unchanged, rooted in its “civilizational template,” such as the relationship between state and society, the role of the family, and more.
In this speech, promoted by state media over the past two weeks, “the next China is still China” signifies that despite China’s changing role in the world, its core essence, approach, and identity as a civilization remain unchanged. On Weibo, some commenters understand the sentence in a similar way, stressing that China will not betray its roots and turn into “the next America.”
However, in other contexts, the phrase is mostly used with a greater emphasis on the economy.
For instance, in Qiushi/Qs Theory, the Party’s theoretical magazine, the quote was called “an important conclusion,” highlighting “the profound capacity of China’s economy” and echoing the “general consensus of the international community.” The Qiushi publication by Shen Dan (沈丹) uses the exact same words as those employed by Wang Yi, indicating that “China remains the largest engine of global growth” (“中国仍是全球增长的最大引擎”).
While not explicitly stated, the sentence and its context serve to counter popular foreign media headlines suggesting that China’s remarkable economic development has ended and that “India is the next ‘China'” or that “Vietnam is the next ‘China’.” Instead, it suggests that China’s economic miracle will continue.
Various headlines in foreign media.
The phrase carries significant weight in the message it conveys both domestically and internationally. On one hand, it serves as a strategy to push back against negative foreign sentiment regarding China and pessimistic views on the economy. On the other hand, it sends a strong signal to Chinese consumers and businesses, encouraging confidence in the domestic economy and the future of China.
Part of Xi’s Catchphrase Canon
The “next China is still China” catchphrase stands as another slogan representing Party language and can be added to the long list of Xi Jinping’s ‘hot’ phrases (热词).
In January of this year, The Economist noted that the latest Communist Party phrases and slogans set the tone for economic campaigns and even define entire epochs of growth. They commented: “At a time when China’s leaders are attempting to drag the economy from the doldrums, there is even more reason than normal to pay attention to party-speak.”
The article describes how some phrases that come up in Xi’s speeches, especially those stressing China’s important role in the world and the country’s rapid economic growth, become part of Party jargon and are commonly used in local documents as political buzzwords. One well-known example is “Great changes unseen in a century” (“百年未有的大变局”), which entered the Party lexicon in 2017, when then-State Councillor Yang Jiechi described it as a guiding principle of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy.
State media, both in Chinese and English, play a crucial role in propagating these types of popular phrases, incorporating them into various articles, videos, hashtags, and headlines.
But despite its current ubiquity and various ways to understand the “next China” slogan, not all netizens are confident that its meaning holds true. One top comment on Douyin said: “China’s birth rates have already fallen to some of the lowest globally, which doesn’t bode well for the future at all.”
However, others are more optimistic, believing that China will remain true to its essence and that its success cannot be copied thanks to the nature of Chinese people: “Hard-working, brave, energetic – that is what defines the Chinese people and that is what can never be replicated.”
By Manya Koetse
With contributions by Miranda Barnes
References
Shen Dan 沈丹. 2024. “The Next “China” Is Still China” [下一个“中国”，还是中国]. Qiushi, February 1 http://www.qstheory.cn/dukan/qs/2024-02/01/c_1130069314.htm [March 11, 2024].
The Economist. 2024. “A Guide to the Chinese Communist Party’s Economic Jargon.” The Economist, January 11 https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/01/11/a-guide-to-the-chinese-communist-partys-economic-jargon [March 11, 2024].
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Richard Merlin
June 24, 2022 at 5:02 am
The characters on the blackboard are traditional Chinese characters, which have been replaced by simplified characters on the Chinese mainland since the 1950s but remain in use in Taiwan and Hong Kong. People from mainland China of “Shushu”s age will not write that way.
His accent is typical Taiwan while Lu Ke has a Jiangsu or Zhejiang accent. It would be inconceivable for Lu Ke who makes a living filming in Africa to make such a disgusting, offensive and politically incorrect (in both China and Africa) film to destroy his own business AND himself.
The Chinese people have been extremely sympathetic for the African people. After all, the Chinese have been discriminated against, abused, exploited, and bullied by Western powers like the African people for almost two centuries.
The Chinese government has been sending aid to Africa since the 1950s, totally trillions of dollars even while the Chinese people were suffering from hunger en masse themselves. For emotional reasons and cold calculation, the Chinese government won’t tolerate anything that will undermine its huge investment in Africa.
In conclusion, this appears highly likely to be part of special operations by Taiwan’s intelligence agency to smear the Chinese people and to poison relations between Africa and China at the same time.
Chinese as well as people from all over the world of all political conviction and affiliation should do everything they can to expose and condemn such evil and hideous smearing attempts against all Chinese people.
黑板上写的都是繁体字，这个年纪的大陆人不会写繁体字。卢克的口音是典型的江浙口音。可领着小朋友们喊侮辱性口号的“叔叔”的口音明显是台湾人。卢克再愚蠢，也不会拍那种极具侮辱性的视频自断财路甚至自掘坟墓，而且拍了以后竟然还胆敢留在当地。推测很可能是台湾军情局的杰作 – 一方面败坏中国人的国际形象，同时离间中非关系。全世界的华人中国人无论何种政治信仰，无论身在何处，都应团结起来，揭露声讨谴责这种极其卑劣的、败坏全体中国人华人国际形象的无耻恶行。