http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/09/world/asia/air-china-magazine-london-racism.html 2016-09-08 05:43:03 Air China Will Fly You to London, and Warn You About Dark-Skinned People There A recent in-flight magazine article said that “precautions are needed when entering areas mainly populated by Indians, Pakistanis and black people.” === The Chinese Communist Party wants China to be regarded as an increasingly sophisticated global player taking its rightful place on the world stage. But every now and then, provincial attitudes of some Chinese slip into the spotlight, causing national embarrassment. Such was the case Wednesday, when these words from a recent Air China in-flight magazine article about Air China is the country’s state-run flag carrier. The article appeared in Wings of China, under a section titled “Tips From Air China” on visiting London. Almost one-third of the magazine was dedicated to tourist attractions in London and other well-known British tourist towns, according to Haze Fan, a producer for CNBC in Beijing who brought attention to the passage by “A piece of advice in Air China in-flight magazine. What does @MayorofLondon think?” Ms. Fan wrote, trying to get a reaction from Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, via his official Twitter account. Mr. Khan is from a family of Pakistani origin, and his home area of Tooting, South London, has many South Asian immigrants. Mr. Khan did not reply to Ms. Fan in public. His Twitter posts regularly praise London’s multiculturalism and show him hanging out with people of many different ethnicities. China considers Air China could not be immediately reached for comment early Thursday. Many Chinese make negative comments in private about people with darker skin color. The lines in the Air China magazine reflect that attitude. In an She pointed to a recent In May, the detergent maker, Shanghai Leishang Cosmetics Ltd. Co., expressed “regret” over the ad, but also blamed foreign news organizations for “overamplification” of the ad. Some British politicians have expressed outrage at the Air China magazine passage. The Telegraph reported on Wednesday that two members of Parliament, Rosena Allin-Khan and Virendra Sharma, had publicly objected to the text and were contacting the Chinese ambassador to “I am shocked and appalled that even today, some people would see it as acceptable to write such blatantly untrue and racist statements,” said Mr. Sharma, the Labour member of Parliament for Ealing Southall, according to The Telegraph. “I have invited representatives of Air China to visit my constituency of Ealing Southall to see that a very multicultural area is safe, and would be of great value for those visiting London to see,” Mr. Sharma said. “I will await their response, and if an appropriate one is not forthcoming, I shall feel forced to question whether Air China is a fit company to operate in the U.K.” Chinese tourists are In May, Queen Elizabeth II told a Metropolitan Police commander at a Buckingham Palace garden party that Chinese officials had been “ Chinese and British officials have said that the two countries are enjoying a new “golden era” in relations.