China demands apology over ‘insulting’ coronavirus cartoon

China has demanded an apology after an “insulting” cartoon about the coronavirus was published in a western newspaper.

The Chinese government has demanded an apology after a Danish newspaper published a satirical cartoon of China’s flag.

The cartoon, which was published in the Monday edition of Jyllands-Posten, features a graphic of the Chinese flag with coronavirus particles photoshopped over the five stars.

A page of the Danish Daily Newspaper Jyllands-Posten's from the January 27, 2020 edition shows a cartoon made by Danish editorial cartoonist Niels Bo Bojesen of the Chinese national flag with a coronavirus on January 28, 2020 in Copenhagen. (Photo by Ida Marie Odgaard / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP)

China Eastern Airlines aircrew arrive at Sydney airport after landing on a plane from Shanghai on January 25, 2020. Picture: Peter Parks/AFP

The Chinese embassy issued a statement demanding an apology from the newspaper and illustrator Niels Bo Bojesen.

“Without any sympathy and empathy, it has crossed the bottom line of civilised society and the ethical boundary of free speech and offends human conscience,” the embassy said on Tuesday.

The newspaper’s chief editor, Jacob Nybroe, said the cartoon was not intended “to mock or ridicule China”, but refused to apologise for it.

He said his newspaper “can’t apologise for something we don’t think is wrong … As far as I can see, there are two different types of cultural understanding here.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said freedom of expression in Denmark includes cartoons.

“We have a very, very strong tradition in Denmark not only for freedom of expression, but also for satirical drawings, and we will have that in the future as well,” Mr Frederiksen said. “It is a well-known Danish position, and we will not change that.”

China has confirmed more than 4500 cases of the new virus, with more than 100 deaths. Most have been in the central city of Wuhan where the outbreak began in December.

In September 2005, Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons showing the Prophet Muhammad. This caused wide outrage among Muslims, who generally hold that any depiction of Muhammad is blasphemous, and prompted often violent protests.

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 newspaper said it had wanted to test whether cartoonists would apply self-censorship when asked to portray Muhammad. No Danish laws were violated with the cartoons’ publication.

— with AP