"Save a dog, eat a Chinese" T-shirt arouses racism concerns

Two T-shirts that are removed from the website due to racism allegations [Photo: huanqiu.com]

A German online retailer has reportedly removed controversial t-shirts from its site after allegations of stereotyping and racism.

A website called Spreadshirt was selling shirts printed with the slogan "Save a dog, Eat a Chinese", reports The Huffington Post.

Another shirt read "save a shark, eat a Chinese."

Those who complained about the shirts said they reinforced a stereotype that Chinese people ate dog meat and shark fin, and could be regarded as being racist.

Complaint from a twitter user [Photo: twitter]

A spokesperson for the website said that the T-shirts had not been designed by them, and that the words did not necessarily indicate racism, according to a Global Times report.

Spreadshirt allows users to personalize T-shirts with their favorite patterns or catchphrases. These custom clothes can then be sold by the designers themselves through the site.

The designers associated with the T-shirts in question have only been identified by their usernames Quentin1984 and Monigote.

Complaint from a facebook user [Photo: facebook]

Even though the website was not accountable for the shirt design, some say they are still to be blame for displaying the shirts on the site for sale.

Dog meat consumption is a tradition in some parts of China but is not a nationwide practice. The 2016 Humane Society International poll suggests that nearly 70 percent of Chinese people have never eaten dog meat, and over half object to the practice.

Yao Ming's noncommercial of protecting wild sharks [File photo: baidu.com]

Awareness of the ban on shark fin soup has gained ground in recent years in China. Celebrities including Yao Ming and Jackie Chan have joined the campaign to inform the public.

Figures also reveal that shark fin consumption in China has been decreasing by up to 70 percent over the years. Imports of shark fin dropped sharply from 4,774 tons to less than 20 tons per year between 2004 and 2014, according to China's customs statistics.