China and Canada are in growing diplomatic confusion over t-shirts with a logo similar to the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, but which Beijing claims is a coronavirus-related insult.
Canada’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs apologized on Wednesday for any misunderstanding and said the shirts were not to be overlooked.
But the explanation did not satisfy Beijing, prolonging a diplomatic feud that can only increase the volume in an already tense relationship.
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Photos of the T-shirts, which display the word “Wuhan” on the American group’s bat-shaped logo, began circulating on the Internet in China late last month.
Some online users claimed they were ordered by a Canadian embassy official and were an insult to the region where the deadly Covid-19 virus first appeared in late 2019.
Beijing filed a formal complaint earlier this week and asked Canada to investigate the issue further.
Canadian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Christelle Chartrand said in a statement to the Associated Press on Wednesday: “The logo on the T-shirt designed by an embassy member shows a stylized W and is not intended to represent a bat. It was created for the embassy staff who were working on the repatriation of Canadians from Wuhan in early 2020. ”
“This was an employee’s personal initiative and was not endorsed by the embassy or Global Affairs Canada,” said Chartrand.
Canada, like many other Western countries, evacuated its citizens from Wuhan in February, when the city was blocked.
Even so, China was not intimidated.
The alleged misunderstanding was “an alibi” that China simply could not accept, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters on Wednesday.
“It is beyond our belief that senior diplomats who have worked and lived in China for years can inadvertently make this stupid mistake,” said Wang.
“Serious damage was caused by such wrong actions,” he added. “The Chinese people also find it very disgusting and difficult to accept. The Canadian side must take this seriously and give us a clear explanation. “
Asked about Canada’s reaction to the latest escalation, the Foreign Ministry told NBC News on Thursday that it had nothing more to add.
The Wu-Tang Clan has yet to comment on the rivalry on its social media channels. NBC News approached the band for their reaction.
Meanwhile, users of Weibo, a popular Chinese social network, have been annoying comments on unrelated posts on the Canadian embassy account.
It is suspected that bats may have been a reservoir for the coronavirus before it spread to people in Wuhan, but the origin of the virus has not been definitively established. A group of experts from the World Health Organization is currently in the region to try to trace the origin of the virus.
Beijing tried to cast doubt on the origin of the pandemic in China.
Although tensions with the United States show no signs of abating, their relationship with Canada has also soured in recent years.
Ottawa arrested the top executive of Chinese communications giant Huawei, Meng Wanzhou, under a U.S. warrant in 2018.
His lawyers called Meng’s arrest for political reasons and demanded his release.
After the discussion, China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, accusing them of spying last year – a move that was widely seen as retribution.
Ed Flanagan, Salina Li, Matthew Mulligan and The Associated Press contributed.