There is a sense of outrage around the world over a detergent advert by a Chinese company. Those who have watched it describe it as shameful, raw and unimaginable. One watcher says it is the “most disgusting display of racism in modern times.”

It is an advert that has refused to die despite efforts by the company and Chinese authorities to kill it or downplay its significance and impact. By this weekend, it had generated about 10 million views on YouTube alone. Other social media networks around the world have continued to relay what one watcher calls “a display of what most Chinese feel about Black people in spite of their often professed love and respect for Africans.”

The laundry detergent called Qiaobi is manufactured by a company called Shanghai Leishang Cosmetics. In the advertisement, a Black artisan with brush in hand and paint stains on his face sees a lonely Chinese girl doing some laundry at home.

The Black man wolf-whistles at the Chinese woman who then signals him to come closer to her. With so much lust on the man’s face and apparently thinking that the woman is ready for a quickie, he heads for a kiss.

The mischievous woman goes to slip a pack of Qiaobi detergent into the Black man’s mouth instead of allowing him to kiss her. Not done with that, she bundles the man into the washing machine and sits atop it to ensure he does not escape the washing. When the lid of the machine is open, the man who emerges, smiling, is no longer a Black man. The wash has transformed him completely into a light-skinned Asian, probably Chinese. Talk of the transforming power of the detergent!

 

 

The advert is believed to have been released in April. It however won global attention and rage when YouTube showed it.

Shanghai Leishang Cosmetics, seeing the colossal damage it has done to itself and the people of China through this terrible display of racism was left with no choice than to withdraw the online version of the advert. The company then came out with a statement saying; “We express our sincere apologies and sincerely hope that many internet users and the media will not read too much into this.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying gave her government position which is that the advert was an “isolated commercial act.” She claimed the ad had not caused diplomatic complaints and hoped people would not blow it up. She went on to add: “Everyone can see that we are consistent in equality towards, and mutually respect, all countries, no matter their ethnicity or race. In fact, we are good brothers with African countries.”

African heads of government have often referred to China as a development partner who shows a lot of respect for Africans. They give China’s sense of equality with African countries who often seek her partnership and assistance in the area of development as motivation for throwing their doors wide open for the Chinese to come in and do business.

These days however, Africans, particularly Black immigrants in China have complained loudly about a growing culture of discrimination and open racism against them by their Chinese hosts. Law enforcement agents in that country have been known to be unusually harsh and strict when dealing with Black people.

On the other hand, there are observers, even among the immigrants, who believe Africans in China reduce their own esteem by accepting just about any jobs that come their way. Such observers lament that the number of Black immigrants who have no jobs in China is already in the millions.

One observer who spoke with People & Power noted: “What is the job of the young African shown in the advert? A house painter. How can an African travel to the Far East, the other side of the world, only to be a ‘house painter’?”