Beijing restaurant removes 'racist' sign after fury

The notice in the window of the Beijing Snacks restaurant read: “This shop does not receive the Japanese, the Philippines, the Vietnamese and dog(s)” in both Chinese and English.

But despite taking down the sign after accusations of racism, the manager said he had no regrets and would not apologize for any offence caused.

Images of the sign went viral in Vietnam and were splashed across newspapers in the Philippines on Wednesday. Both are involved in bitter territorial disputes with China over islands in the South China Sea.

The manager, surnamed Wang, said it was taken down “because it was a lot of bother.”

“I don't have any regrets,” he told AFP. “I was just getting too many phone calls about it.”

He seemed surprised at the attention it had generated but said he would not apologize for any offence caused, suggesting it may have been misinterpreted.

“Maybe people misunderstood our meaning ... it only said we would not serve customers from those countries,” he said.

The sign's wording was particularly inflammatory as it recalled China's colonial era, when British-owned establishments barred Chinese from entering.

A sign outside a Shanghai park supposedly reading “No Dogs and Chinese allowed” became part of Communist propaganda, and was featured in the 1972 Bruce Lee film “Fists of Fury” — but many historical experts say no such notice ever existed.

The restaurant sign provoked an outcry in Vietnam and the Philippines, generating thousands of posts on Vietnamese social networking sites and newspaper comment threads.

The cramped establishment's specialty is soup made with pork offal and gravy-soaked biscuits. “This is what old Beijingers like to eat,” a white-hatted chef said.

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3 Comments

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March 2, 2013    annfrist1987@

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Don't come to China. Don't buy anything from China. You will see, what happens next.

March 9, 2013    truth@

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To tell you the truth. I like it when people display their true feelings. It's called freedom of speech and it tells me who I want to do business with.

March 10, 2013    TNT@

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The owner is lower than dogs.

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