China mocks India in social media posts, prompting backlash

China is facing backlash after a social media account linked to the ruling Communist Party shared a post mocking India’s struggles to contain COVID-19.

According to a CNN report, an account linked to the Central Commission for Political and Legal Affairs posted a photo on the microblogging platform Weibo comparing the Chinese Long March-5B carrier rocket to photos of cremation pyres burning at night in India under the watch of people in hazmat suits.

A caption on the post said, “China lighting a fire versus India lighting a fire,” which went along with a hashtag pointing to India’s rising number of COVID-19 cases.

According to CNN, several other Chinese government accounts run by the police and local courts shared the post and photos.

The post drew immediate criticism in China.

The editor in chief of the Chinese state-run Global Times, Even Hu Xijin, criticized the post, telling CNN, “I don’t think it’s proper for social media accounts of certain Chinese official institutions or other influential forces to mock India at present.”

CNN reported that following the backlash, the Weibo post was removed from the website.

The incident comes shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping sent his condolences to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week.