BEIJING - China on Monday suggested that the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) respond to legitimate demands of local Chinese community to openly apologize for the broadcast of offensive program.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a regular press briefing that ABC should acknowledge the misconduct, and respond to the Chinese community's demand in a sincere way.

Qin said that spreading racism and hatred goes against the media's social responsibility and that ABC should prevent similar incidents from occurring in future.

Thousands of Chinese Americans and supporters rallied at ABC headquarters in Los Angeles on Saturday to protest against a skit in the talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on October 16. Kimmel asked four children how the United States should pay back the country's 1.3 trillion US dollar debt to China, and one 6-year-old responded, "kill everyone in China." Kimmel commented, "that's an interesting idea."

Critics said that Kimmel was wrong for not stopping the comment and failing to explain to the children that it was not the right idea, and even worse the ABC failed to remove the comment from the show, which had been taped before it went on air.

The offensive comment has sparked indignation and protests from the Chinese community. ABC has previously sent a letter to a Chinese American organization to apologize and Kimmel himself has made apologies in his show on October 28 and to Chinese Americans in front of his studio at Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on October 30.