A video showing Chinese primary school children shouting anti-Korea slogans has attracted criticism online.
China has been embroiled in a row with Korea over the latter’s deployment of US anti-ballistic missile system THAAD. Nationalistic tabloid Global Times has been calling for the boycott of Korean retailer Lotte, which assisted in the deployment.
The video was reportedly taken at Shijixing Primary School, on the outskirts of Handan in northern Hebei province.
“Lotte, get out of China! Boycott Korean goods!” shouted the children at the behest of a speaker. “Boycott THAAD! Love China!”
The speaker claimed that if war breaks out in the Taiwan strait, America would be able to target China with the missile system.
“This is a classic sign of the pre-Cultural Revolution period,” said political activist Wang Dan, who shared the video.
“Have mercy on the children!” wrote user Morongshao on Chinese social media platform Weibo. “Poisoning the education of children at such a small age… when will China have depoliticised education?”
Shijixing Primary School was not the only institution in China to have rallied young children to chant anti-Korean slogans in recent weeks.
In another video which circulated last week, primary school children swore at a school assembly that they would not buy Lotte snacks.
