Air China will fly you to London, and warn you about dark-skinned people there

The Chinese Communist Party wants China to be regarded as an increasingly sophisticated global player taking its rightful place on the world stage. But every now and then, provincial attitudes of some Chinese slip into the spotlight, causing national embarrassment. Such was the case Wednesday, when these words from a recent Air China in-flight magazine article about London circulated online: “Safety: London is generally a safe place to travel, however precautions are needed when entering areas mainly populated by Indians, Pakistanis and black people. We advise tourists not to go out alone at night, and females always to be accompanied by another person when travelling.” Air China is the country’s state-run flag carrier. The article appeared in Wings of China, under a section titled “Tips From Air China” on visiting London. Almost one-third of the magazine was dedicated to tourist attractions in London and other well-known British tourist towns, according to Haze Fan, a producer for CNBC in Beijing who brought attention to the passage by tweeting a photograph of it on Tuesday. “A piece of advice in Air China in-flight magazine. What does @MayorofLondon think?” Ms. Fan wrote, trying to get a reaction from Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, via his official Twitter account. Khan is from a family of Pakistani origin, and his home area of Tooting, South London, has many South Asian immigrants. Khan did not reply to Ms. Fan in public. Air China could not be immediately reached for comment early Thursday.<br/>