Coronavirus: Denmark in diplomatic spat with China over ‘insulting’ cartoon

Drawing ‘hurts the feelings of the Chinese people,’ embassy says

China has exchanged blows with Denmark in a diplomatic row over an “insulting” satirical cartoon about its deadly coronavirus outbreak.

Its Danish embassy has blasted a newspaper who published a drawing of the Chinese flag with viruses replacing the five stars, saying it lacked “sympathy and empathy”.

An embassy spokesperson said the cartoon was “an insult” which “hurts the feelings of the Chinese people” as China battles a form of viral pneumonia which killed over 100 and infected thousands.

The Danish PM has stepped in to defend the newspaper, Jyllands-posten, saying her country had a “very, very strong tradition” of freedom of expression and satirical drawings.

“It is a well-known Danish position, and we will not change that,” Mette Frederiksen added.

The Chinese embassy in Denmark said the drawing “crossed the bottom line of civilised society and the ethical boundary of free speech”. It asked for an apology from both the paper and artist, Niels Bo Bojesen.

Jyllands-Posten‘s chief editor, Jacob Nybroe, said his newspaper “cannot apologise for something we do not think is wrong”, adding: ”As far as I can see, there are two different types of cultural understanding here.”

He said the cartoon was not meant “to mock or ridicule China”, which has confirmed more than 4,500 cases of a new virus.

Over 100 people have been killed by the infection, which gives patients flu-like symptoms but can develop into pneumonia.

Most cases have been in the central Chinese city of Wuhan – which is currently on lockdown – where the outbreak began in December.

The Danish newspaper who published the coronavirus cartoon faced criticism in 2005 for its drawings of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, whose portrayal is generally deemed blasphemous by Muslim communities.

Four months later, anti-Danish demonstrations were held in predominantly Muslim countries – some of which led to attacks on Danish and other Western embassies – while boycotts of Danish products were staged in the Middle East.

One of the cartoonists was assaulted in his home and a terror attack against the newspaper’s Copenhagen office was foiled by the intelligence service.

The drawing of the Chinese flag with viruses was published in Jyllands-Posten on Monday.

Additional reporting by Associated Press