An actress went to Chinese New Year in blackface and it ruined people's celebrations

A performance on a variety TV show in China has sparked outrage after an actress appeared in blackface.

The sketch appeared on the Chinese New Year version of the Spring Festival Gala, which is reported to be the most watched TV show in the world with more than 800 million viewers.

The intention behind the segment was to show how positive relations between China and Africa have grown thanks to Chinese investment in the African continent – but it backfired massively.

A Chinese actress sporting blackface and a fake backside was accompanied by a person in a monkey outfit on stage, but rather than provoking humour it was greeted with criticism online.

Many Chinese people posted on social media about the deeply offensive use of blackface, with several saying that it has ruined their New Year celebrations.

The show was featured on the state television channel CCTV and centred around a young African woman asking a Chinese man to pose as her husband when meeting her mother.

This lead to the mother declaring that she loved China.

It also drew criticism on the Chinese social media site Weibo with users reportedly writing:

It's full of racism.

And:

If an American white person painted yellow says I love the USA and recites some Trump quotes while pulling his eyes, how would you feel?

The BBCreport that all stories about the sketch on Weibo and within the Chinese media have been banned.

HT BBC

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