No condoning racism whatever the excuse

Things have turned ugly for Shandong University's foreign students' "buddy program".

While the university has apologized for the "negative effect" caused by its choice of words such as "making friends with foreigners of the opposite sex" on the application form to hire Chinese students for the program - a universal practice which aims to help a student better adapt to the new environment on a foreign campus - a stream of racist vitriol has continued to ferment online, targeting not only the university, but foreigners at large as well. Some have called on the authority to take immediate action to block the entry of "foreign garbage" into the country.

Racist rants against foreigners are not uncommon, usually reviling them for having sex with easily duped innocent young Chinese women, using drugs and spreading AIDS.