"New Emblem Resembles Rising Sun Flag"... Chinese University Refutes Controversy

Rumors Spread That University Withdrew Its Emblem
University: "The Rumor Is Fabricated"

After rumors spread online that a new university emblem in China resembled the Rising Sun Flag, the university immediately issued a rebuttal.

According to Sina Finance and other Chinese media outlets on August 11, rumors recently circulated on social networking services (SNS) claiming, "Qingdao University's new emblem closely resembles the Rising Sun Flag, causing the university to hastily withdraw it."

A new university emblem in China sparked controversy for its resemblance to the Rising Sun flag. Screenshot from Baidu.

In response, the university stated that the emblem image circulating online is not its official emblem and that the rumor is fabricated.

A university representative officially announced, "Since the school's establishment in 1909, we have never used the emblem design being shared online," and added, "We have not held any recent competitions for designing, soliciting, or announcing a new emblem." In fact, the official university emblem, in use since 2013, is blue and consists of the university's name in both Chinese and English and the year of establishment.

Meanwhile, the Rising Sun Flag is regarded as a symbol of Japanese militarism and imperialism, as it was used when Japan invaded various Asian countries, including during the Pacific War.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.