Taiwan on Friday said a New Zealand hamburger restaurant has apologized for a racist remark to a Taiwanese customer after reports that it had first apologized to China sparked outrage in Taiwan.
An image posted on Threads by a Taiwanese who ate at Fergburger in Queenstown showed that their receipt dated Sunday last week included the words “Ching Chang,” a racial slur.
The Chinese Consulate-General in Christchurch in a statement on Thursday said it had received and accepted an apology from the restaurant over the incident.
Photo: Screengrab from ya___chun72’s Threads account
The comment triggered an online furor among Taiwanese who saw it as an insult to the nation’s sovereignty.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement said the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Taiwan’s de facto embassy in New Zealand, expressed the nation’s dismay to the restaurant after the image was posted on Threads.
Fergburger’s general manager, who New Zealand media identified as Claire Burke, told the office that the establishment was sincerely sorry for any distress or disrespect the inappropriate remarks had caused the customer and Taiwanese, it said.
The employees responsible for the incident have been fired and training would be improved to ensure an inclusive, respectful and welcoming dining environment for all, the ministry cited Burke as saying.
However, contrary to initial reporting, the ministry said Fergburger had sent a written letter of apology to every Asian mission in New Zealand, including those of Taiwan and China.
Burke on Instagram wrote that the employee was sacked in connection to the “unjustified behavior,” New Zealand-based outlet 1News said in a report.
“While this cannot undo the incident or lessen the harm caused, we remain committed to addressing the situation thoroughly,” she was quoted as saying.
“This incident has been caused by a single individual whose actions are entirely inconsistent with Fergburger’s values,” she said, adding that the company “takes full responsibility” for the incident.
The staff member that inserted the name on the receipt did not serve the customer, Burke said.
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