A poster released by La Liga club Espanyol welcomes the arrival of Chinese striker Wu Lei from Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG. Photo: Courtesy of Espanyol

Chinese soccer player Wu Lei who signed for Espanyol has been applauded by many Chinese internet users for refusing to autograph the Chinese national flag with which fans welcomed him at an airport. 

Wu's fans were waving small national flags waiting for the striker at an airport in the UK before a game with Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday. The player signed uniforms and gave a few autographs for fans. 

A fan who did not bring a uniform or photo put two Chinese national flags in front of Wu, waiting for him to sign. 

"I should not sign a national flag," Wu said, according to a video posted on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo platform.  Wu then invited fans to take a group photo. 

The video went viral on Chinese social media Wednesday, a few days after Wu scored on English soil during the Sunday game that ended 2-2. 

According to China's National Flag Law enacted in 1990, people burning, destroying, staining or trampling on national flags in public places to disrespect the flag will face criminal punishment. 

If the violation is not serious, the person will be detained for up to 15 days. 

In 2017, a man was sentenced to two years in prison for cutting up and discarding 66 national flags in two residential communities in North China's Tianjin Municipality, Shanghai news portal thepaper.cn reported. 

"The national flag is the symbol of our nation, " posted one user on Weibo, "and should be well protected and respected. Wu's behavior suggested that love for the nation is not a slogan but manifest in daily life."

Another user said Wu taught a lesson to celebrities and common people who carelessly treat a national flag of solemnity and dignity. 

Global Times