Chinese ministry’s use of video featuring blackface draws sharp reaction from Indians
- Ministry of Public Security posts a short road-safety video featuring Chinese men in blackface and wearing turbans to depict Indians
- Garnering over 190,000 views in its first two days on Weibo, the video is considered racist and disparaging of Indian culture by some
A video that a Chinese ministry has posted on its official Weibo account showing Chinese dancers performing in blackface to a popular Indian song is drawing sharp reactions from netizens in both countries.
The Ministry of Public Security, China’s primary policing authority, picked up the video from a popular Chinese video sharing platform called Bilibili, intending to teach about road safety rules.
Posted by the ministry on Saturday, the one-minute clip features a Chinese parodist called Brother Hao on a stationary motorbike; he is wearing a turban and his face is made up heavily with blackface while he imitates Indian dance moves from the 1990s.
In the video, two other Chinese men – also wearing blackface – join Brother Hao on the bike and the group invites three fair-skinned women sitting in the rear of a car for a ride. The women wear blue sequin dresses typically worn by female dancers in Bollywood movies.
The ministry’s Weibo post accompanying the video: “Motorcycle da da da #Police reminder: Seat belts should also be worn in the rear seats. Remember when riding a motorcycle, you can’t go on the road without a helmet!”
Garnering over 190,000 views on Weibo in China, the video has drawn fire from Indian netizens, who have condemned it for racism and demeaning Indian culture.