US embassy in Beijing apologises for comparing Chinese students to playful puppies

‘Spring is here … are you like this puppy desperate to go play,’ says social media post announcing US visa applications for Chinese students had resumed

Weibo chatter included claims of racism, insensitivity and derogatory regard for Chinese by US embassy staff

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William Bistransky, acting consul-general at the US embassy in Beijing, said the resumption of visa appointments showed that Americans welcomed foreign students. But Chinese social media has directed anger towards the embassy over a post appearing to compare Chinese students to playful puppies. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 5:05pm, 6 May 2021Updated: 9:33pm, 6 May 2021

The US embassy to China has apologised for a social media post that compared Chinese students applying for visas to puppies wanting to play, which was criticised by online users as insensitive and derogatory.

The post, which has since been deleted, contained a video showing a puppy escaping its pen, with a caption that said “spring is here and flowers are blooming, are you like this puppy desperate to go play?”

“The US embassy’s student visa application service has resumed in phases. What are you waiting for?” said the post, which was first published on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter, on Wednesday.

The comparison angered Chinese online users who consider it derogatory – many insults in Chinese contain the word dog, such as a “running dog” meaning someone who grovels. This led many to believe the post was mocking Chinese students or intellectuals who wanted to go to the US.

A Weibo hashtag for the topic was viewed over 5 million times, with more than 1,200 users joining the discussion by Thursday.

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