Chinese groups demand apology for remark

Around 80 organizations complain UK lawmaker's 'little man' jibe offensive

More than 80 Chinese associations and civil society organizations have joined hands to demand a public apology from a British minister, who has been accused of making a racist and derogatory remark about Chinese people in a recent TV interview.

Mark Spencer, a Conservative Party member of Parliament serving as minister of state for food, used the example of "some little man in China" when describing phone hacking risks as a government minister in response to being quizzed about former prime minister Liz Truss's "phone hacking" incident.

Spencer, who is already the subject of an ongoing investigation over alleged comments about an MP's Muslim faith, which he denies, told Sky News: "We all talk on personal phones, don't we? I ring my wife, maybe there's some little man in China listening to the conversations between me and my wife.

"You've just got to be careful about what information you use on which phone and you get a lot of help and support from the security services on that."

Multiple Labour Party MPs hit out, with Angela Eagle tweeting the shocked face emoji, Chris Elmore commenting "the state of this" and Chris Bryant writing "little man? Honestly?".

Sarah Owen, the first MP of southeast Asian/Chinese descent, tweeted: "Mark Spencer once again showing his ignorance, on many levels."

Owen told Huff Post UK: "Clearly government ministers like Mark Spencer do not understand the severity of the now repeated Conservative security breaches.

"No amount of deflecting, even by throwing out the crass and archaic 'little Chinese man' trope, will distract us from the fact the PM chose to re-hire Braverman (as home secretary) just six days after a ministerial code violation to one of the most sensitive positions of state."

The International Chinese Alliance against Racism and UK Society of Chinese Lawyers, on behalf of many Chinese groups in the United Kingdom, issued a statement to ask for a public apology from Spencer for what they called his ignorant and prejudiced remarks and for implying the illegal behavior by China.

"We strongly believe he should apologize publicly and show some respect to Chinese people. This was not just a 'careless' remark from a normal citizen in a private home. It was by a minister of state who was previously lord president and leader of the House of the Commons, publicly made on a major TV station," the statement read.

Chinese people have a longstanding relationship with Britain, and the Chinese community in the UK has contributed hugely to the UK economy, daily British life, and does not deserve this diminution of the Chinese character, the statement noted.

"This government minister has not yet been held accountable for his deliberately prejudiced remarks that have hurt many and brought shame to decent British people. Rishi Sunak pledged to bring 'integrity and accountability' as prime minister on his first day in No.10. This behavior of his minister certainly fell below the expected standard," it added.

wangmingjie@mail.chinadailyuk.com