Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

China is an open and inclusive country, and we do not have in place any discriminatory practice against any particular country, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday in response to news that a Chinese blogger refused to make room for Japanese tourists to take pictures in the Yuanmingyuan Park, which was once the Qing Dynasty imperial garden but was burned down by the Anglo-French troops during the Second Opium War.

The Chinese male, named "Ya Ren", which translates to Asian man in English, posted a video online, in which he was asked by a person accompanying Japanese tourists to make room for them to take pictures in the Yuanmingyuan Park last week, domestic news site china.com reported on Monday.

Ya Ren claimed that considering the fact that Japan was involved in the Siege of Beijing by the Eight-Nation Alliance, he believed that there was no reason for him, as a Chinese, to give room to Japanese tourists, media reported. 

Yuanmingyuan, also known as Old Summer Palace, was once the imperial garden of Qing Dynasty, but was destroyed in 1860 by the Anglo-French troops during the Second Opium War, with many treasures and relics plundered by the Anglo-French troops. 

"I'm not familiar with the specifics you mentioned. I wil not comment on personal conduct. But I can tell you that China is an open and inclusive country, and we do not have in place any discriminatory practice against any particular country," said Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, on Monday's press briefing, responding to Ya Ren's behavior.

According to the official website of the Yuanmingyuan park, the park has no restrictions for foreign tourists.

Global Times