‘I’m not Chinese’ T-shirt from Australia-based store ruffles feathers at Chinese media

蘋果日報 2021/04/14 06:55


An Australia-based online store has drawn the ire of a media mouthpiece under China’s Communist Party for displaying T-shirts with the slogan “I’m not Chinese” for sale.
Redbubble, a platform selling products made by independent artists and designers, was called out in an article by party tabloid Global Times. The clothes bearing the slogan, in some cases with a swear word added, were “grotesque” and discriminatory against Chinese people, the paper said.
The T-shirts were said to have varying designs, such as an additional line claiming the wearer came from Asian countries such as Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea or Thailand. The slogan “I’m not Chinese” was also featured on products like aprons, protective phone cases, masks and mugs.
Some of the T-shirts being sold on Redbubble included the words “Don’t shoot, I’m not Chinese” or “I’m Asian, I’m not Chinese and I’m definitely not a virus,” according to the Global Times report.
The items described by the tabloid could no longer be found when Apple Daily visited the website. However, it was carrying T-shirts that bore slogans like “Yes I’m from China” and “I’m not yelling, I’m a proud Chinese.”
Redbubble was founded in 2006 in Melbourne, Australia, and now has offices in Melbourne and San Francisco, its website shows. The e-commerce company is valued at around A$1.5 billion (US$1.14 billion) on the Australian stock exchange.
Some social media users in China condemned Redbubble for profiting from racial discrimination. They said the T-shirts were “malicious” and “the work of losers.”
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