PAWS FOR THOUGHT

U.S. Embassy Apologizes for Asking Chinese Students if They Felt Like a Happy Little Dog

The embassy’s cutesy Weibo post about visa reopenings reportedly read: “Are you like this doggy who can’t wait to go out and play?”

It probably sounded much better in the drafting stage. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing has reportedly been forced to apologize for a post on social media that asked students in China if they related to a happy little dog. According to The New York Times, the post was intended to share the news that student visa applications for Chinese students had been reopened. Alongside a video of a dog vaulting a yard’s fence, the embassy’s post read: “Spring has come and the flowers are in bloom... Are you like this doggy who can’t wait to go out and play?” However, the cutesy post was savaged by some users on the Weibo platform who thought it was racist and degrading. The Global Times, a Chinese tabloid, published an article quoting people who were left angry or disappointed by the post. The embassy said Thursday that the post was intended to be “lighthearted and humorous,” but it has since been deleted with an apology.