China accused of racism over bizarre film of man in fake beard putting on Indian accent in Doklam border row

Outraged: Indian media responded angrily to the 'racist' parody
Xinhua
Eleanor Rose17 August 2017

A Chinese state-run broadcaster has been accused of racism after showing a film of a Chinese person parodying an Indian as a border row deepened between the two countries.

In Xinhua's propaganda film, a turbaned actor puts on a thick Indian accent while a female presenter accuses India of "trampling international law" in an ongoing dispute over the Doklam region.

In a film apparently intended to be funny, show host Dier Wang lambasts India for having "illegally crossed the China-India boundary" while the "Indian" in an ill-fitting beard waggles his head.

Doklam is a region bordering China, India and Bhutan. China and Bhutan both claim the area, while India supports the small Himalayan kingdom's claim.

During the stilted skit, the "Indian" flaps his hands saying "I'm in danger", mocking India's stance in the row.

At one point, the actor waves a pair of scissors at a man representing Bhutan and says he is "protecting" him, while "Bhutan" shakes his head.

The bizarre piece of propaganda ends with the presenter comparing India to a house robber, threatening to "call 911", and saying "get out of my house".

Rant: The clip showed presenter Dier Wang slamming India
Xinhua

Indian media responded to the skit with uproar, with the Hindustan Times calling it "a racist video parodying Indians" which "particularly targets the Sikh minority".

The spat began when China planned to build a road through the plateau known as Doklam in India and Donglang in China.

Both Beijing and New Delhi sent military reinforcements to the region.

Disputes have remained over several parts of Doklam since India and China fought a war over boundaries in 1962.

Social media users slammed the Chinese news agency over the video.

"Shameful," said one Twitter user, adding: "Xinhua is China's voice in the world."

Another wrote: "Propaganda is not enough for Xinhua, it now also makes racist videos about India. This is really unbelievable coming from state news wire."

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