Global fast food chain McDonald's has apologized after one of its restaurants in China posted a sign banning black people from the store.
McDonald's issued an apology after a sign prohibiting black people from entering one of its branches in China circulated on social media. The sign stated that the Guangzhou store has "been informed that from now on black people are not allowed to enter the restaurant."
It continued: "For the sake of your health, consciously notify the local police for medical isolation, please understand the inconvenience caused."
In a statement, McDonald's said that the sign is "not representative of our inclusive values." Following the uproar, McDonald's removed the sign and temporarily closed down the location.
The company claimed that it will use the store's closure to "further educate managers and employees on our values, which includes serving all members of the communities in which we operate."
Guangzhou has long been the city with the largest African community in China. However, the size of the African population was difficult to calculate since many of them have short-term business visas and travel to the country several times a year.
According to Xinhua, around 320,000 Africans entered or left China through Guangzhou in 2017.
Discrimination against black people in China?
According to reports, Africans, particularly students and expatriates, in Guangzhou, China, were subjected to discrimination amidst the coronavirus pandemic. This is expected to cause diplomatic tensions between China and African nations.
Last week, African nationals were allegedly forced to undergo coronavirus testing and an arbitrary 14-day self-quarantine regardless of their recent travel history. Some were also left homeless after landlords evicted them and hotels refused to let them stay in their facilities.
The reports follow growing concerns in recent weeks of a possible second wave of coronavirus outbreak brought into the country by overseas travelers after the government claimed that it has contained the virus.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian released a statement denying that China had been singling out foreigners.
Zhao said: "We are still facing great risks of imported cases and domestic resurgence. Particularly, as the pandemic spreads all over the world, imported cases are causing mounting pressure.”
"All foreigners are treated equally. We reject differential treatment, and we have zero tolerance for discrimination," he added.
Another controversy for McDonald's
This is not the first time the fast food chain garnered controversy overseas. In November of last year, McDonald's apologized following outrage over its Halloween marketing campaign for its dessert in Portugal which used the phrase, “Sundae Bloody Sundae”.
The campaign sparked outrage after people on social media connected the phrase to the Bloody Sunday incident in Northern Ireland.
Bloody Sunday is the term used to refer to an incident that happened in Londonderry, Northern Ireland on a Sunday, January 30, 1972, where 13 people were shot dead by the Army.
According to Mcdonald’s, the marketing campaign was not intended to be an "insensitive reference to any historical event". A spokeswoman for McDonald’s Portugal said: "We sincerely apologize for any offence or distress this may have caused."
