Beijing Says Hoping Dolce & Gabbana Incident Does Not Become Diplomatic Scandal

Beijing is hoping that the scandal around Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana's controversial ad campaign and alleged insulting remarks does not become an international diplomacy incident, Geng Shuang, the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday.

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd November, 2018) Beijing is hoping that the scandal around Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana's controversial ad campaign and alleged insulting remarks does not become an international diplomacy incident, Geng Shuang, the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday.

Earlier this week, D&G released promotional videos of a Chinese model eating Italian foods with chopsticks, but the campaign faced a barrage of criticism over using stereotypes and racist undertones. The situation was compounded by the insulting remarks that appear to have been made by one of the brand founders in direct messages on Instagram.

"The issue is not one of [international] diplomacy, and we are hoping that it does not become a diplomatic issue," the ministry's spokesman told a briefing.

Geng said the question about the scandal should be directed to the people of China rather than the foreign ministry.

The luxury fashion house has already apologized for the insulting statements, with Stefano Gabbana saying that his account had been hacked.

However, Dolce & Gabbana canceled its Shanghai fashion show scheduled for Wednesday. A number of Chinese e-commerce websites have dropped Dolce & Gabbana items, while several Chinese celebrities have strongly criticized the brand.