Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. Photo: VCG

China has lodged stern representations with the Canadian Embassy in China over reports that an embassy staff member ordered customized cultural shirts featuring Wuhan and bat patterns in July 2020, and urged the Canadian side to investigate the matter immediately, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a Monday press conference.

As a diplomat of the Canadian Embassy in China, the personnel behaved in a way that is seriously inconsistent with his or her status and deviates from the consistent position of the top level of the Canadian government, Wang said.

A Chinese shop owner engaged in custom-made cultural shirts allegedly posted a real-name tip-off message via WeChat recently saying a staff member from the Canadian Embassy in China placed an order for customized shirts featuring Wuhan and bat patterns in July 2020.

"The novel coronavirus is the common enemy of humans. Both the WHO and the international community have clearly opposed linking the virus to specific countries and regions and opposed any practice of stigmatizing or labeling," Wang said, noting that Canada's Prime Minister and Minister of Health have also made similar statements against the practices on many occasions.

Wang stressed that diplomatic and consular staff stationed abroad in any country should strictly abide by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the laws and regulations of the country where they are stationed.