Chinese carrier Air China on Thursday sparked a major racial controversy with an article published in its in-flight magazine that warned travelers to London not to visit ethnic minority areas.    

The article titled "Tips from Air China" said that the London city was safe. However, it warned that "precautions are needed when entering areas mainly populated by Indians, Pakistanis, and black people."

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One paragraph warned females against venturing alone into areas dominated by ethnic minorities. "We advise tourists not to go out alone at night, and females always to be accompanied by another person when traveling," it said.

The Telegraph reported that the article was first noticed by local Chinese journalist Haze Fan, who immediately tweeted a screenshot of it to the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.  

The tweet unleashed a flurry of angry responses from Londoners including MPs (Member of Parliament) representing city's ethnic minority groups. MPs Dr. Rosena Allin-Khan and Virendra Sharma have said that they would write a letter to the Chinese ambassador Liu Xiaoming about the issue.

"I am shocked and appalled that even today some people would see it as acceptable to write such blatantly untrue and racist statements," r Sharma, the Labour MP for Ealing Southall, said.

This is not the first racial controversy from China this year. A few months ago, a Chinese laundry detergent ad caused an uproar as it showed a black man being miraculously transformed into white Chinese man after being cleansed with a detergent.

Several psychologists and social experts have stated that a huge racial bias exists in the Chinese society. Many have noted that lack of open discussion on the issue has led to more racial discrimination.        

Tagschins, Air China, London, China and Great Britain