Beware of ‘Indian, Pakistani and black’ areas, warns Air China to London tourists

The publisher of the in-flight magazine, Air China Media has apologised for the racist guide.
Beware of ‘Indian, Pakistani and black’ areas, warns Air China to London tourists
Beware of ‘Indian, Pakistani and black’ areas, warns Air China to London tourists
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China’s national air carrier, Air China, has sparked outrage over its in-flight magazine’s racist guide to the city of London. An article in its in-flight magazine, “Wings of China”, suggested safety precautions to travellers in London, observing “London is generally a safe place to travel, however safety precautions are needed when entering areas mainly populated by Indians, Pakistanis and black people. We advise tourists to not go out alone at night, and females always to be accompanied by another person when travelling.”

The publisher of the in-flight magazine, Air China Media has since apologised to “readers and passengers who are feeling uncomfortable,” reported BBC. Promising to recall the entire issue of the magazines, Air China Media stated, “This inappropriate description... was purely a work mistake by the editors and it's not the magazine's views.” 

The racist guide was first brought to light by news channel CNBC’s Beijing-based producer, Haze Fan, on Twitter.  

While Fan tagged London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is of Pakistani origin, on Twitter, there has been no official comment from the latter. Reports suggest that the mayor’s office is drafting a statement over the row.

Earlier, two British MPs sought an apology from the Chinese Ambassador to the UK. Labour MP from Ealing, Virendra Sharma stated,

“I am shocked and appalled that even today some people would see it as acceptable to write such blatantly untrue and racist statements. I have raised this issue with the Chinese Ambassador, and requested that he ensures an apology is swiftly forthcoming from Air China, and the magazine is removed from circulation immediately.”  

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, a Labour MP for Tooting, which has a large Indian and Pakistani population told The Evening Standard,

“I think it is offensive to all Londoners, not just the ethnic minorities mentioned. We pride ourselves on having a wonderfully diverse community, and this may mean people come here with a different idea, it is worrying that some may arrive concerned.”

Official data shows that 44% of London’s population are of black or ethnic minority origins.

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