German EU commissioner who called Chinese ‘slitty-eyed’ apologises for derogatory remarks

EU Commissioner Guenther Oettinger apologised on Thursday for derogatory remarks about Chinese people, whom he dubbed “slitty eyes” in a speech last month.

“I can now see that the words I used have created bad feelings and may even have hurt people. This was not my intention and I would like to apologise for any remark that was not as respectful as it should have been,” Oettinger said in a statement.

China voiced its disdain on Wednesday over his remarks, saying they revealed “a baffling sense of superiority entrenched in some Western politicians”.

A video that emerged on YouTube showed Oettinger addressing a business audience using the German words for “slitty eyes” and “chiselers” to refer to Chinese people.

Oettinger, commissioner for the EU digital economy who was last week named to take on the budget portfolio as well, went on to make disparaging remarks about women, gay marriage and Belgian politicians.