Mayor says comments not meant to offend

A mayor in Yunnan province has denied that he branded the Miao ethnic group "horrible" and described its culture as "witchcraft".

Netizens and community leaders have called for Gong Qing, acting mayor of Wenshan, to apologize over comments he is said to have made in a meeting on Oct 26 to discuss a theme park featuring Miao culture.

The remarks "went viral in WeChat groups for Miao people in Yunnan, Guizhou and Hunan provinces and Beijing, sparking unprecedented indignation", according to an email from a Miao research society to the Yunnan Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission that was shared with China Daily on Tuesday.