Chinese New Year gala show sparks racism controversy

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV has drawn criticism for broadcast of its new year gala in which performers were seen approximating African clothing. The performers had darkened their skin with make-up as well. The new year gala marked beginning Lunar New Year. CCTV's broadcast typically draws hundreds of millions of viewers.

"The New Year Gala director team is just stupid and vicious," said one of a number of users who took to Weibo, China's Twitter-like social media platform, to criticise the skit.

"Is there any difference between Chinese people doing blackface and white people slanting their eyes to make fun of Asians?"

China's foreign ministry said the integration of cultural elements from other countries into Chinese shows was a sign of respect and the inclusion of the African segment was not a diplomatic issue.

"If anyone wants to seize on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala programme to make a fuss, or even sow discord in relations between China and African countries, they obviously have ulterior motives," it said in a statement to Reuters.

The new year gala had led to a controversy in 2018 as well. At that time a skit featuring actress Lou Naiming drew criticism. She appeared on stage in colourful garb, her face and arms coloured brown, carrying a fruit basket on her head and accompanied by someone costumed as a monkey.

This year's gala saw organisations and advocates for Africans in China lambast the show. The show aired on Thursday evening.

"While supporters of the practice allege that blackface centres on empathy & realism, it’s difficult to disassociate it from a long history of minstrelsy & fixation on problematic caricatures," Black China Caucus, an activist group, said on Twitter.

"Next year, we hope organizers decide to end this practice & hire some of thousands of Black people living in many parts of China."