Two banners put up by the Canadian Embassy in China in support of Ukraine were recently vandalized.
On Feb. 29, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Embassy of Canada in Beijing installed two banners on its perimeter walls with the message, “We Stand with Ukraine.”
However, the following day a photo was circulating on Weibo (China’s version of Twitter) showing one of the banners with the words “F*** NATO” scrawled across it.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has followed Ukraine’s bid to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Sabrina Williams, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Global Affairs in Canada, confirmed the incident and said the vandalized content has been covered.
“We condemn this action of vandalism. Canada is a steadfast ally of the Ukrainian people and stands in full support of Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence,” read a statement Williams provided to the Richmond News.
Meanwhile, the Embassy updated its Weibo account by posting the message: “Today, we raised the Ukrainian flag to show our support for Ukrainians.” The tweet also used the “Stand with Ukraine” hashtag.
“Canadian missions around the world, including in China, are conveying in various forms Canada’s support for Ukraine. The Embassy will continue to display banners to demonstrate our solidarity with Ukraine and its people,” Williams added.
Liberal MP Parm Bains (Steveston-Richmond East) said he wasn’t aware of the situation but said he would look into it with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Chinese government has distanced itself from Russia but has avoided criticizing Moscow directly. The government has also denounced trade and financial sanctions against Russia.
-with reports from Associated Press
