TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Basketball star Dwight Howard said Friday (May 12) that he did not mean to hurt anyone after netizens in China complained about his description of Taiwan as a country.

The former NBA player recorded a promotional video for tourism in Taiwan with Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德). During their conversation, Howard described how he had gained “a whole new appreciation of this country” since he arrived last year to join the Taoyuan Leopards.

The statement triggered angry reactions from netizens in China, who condemned him as a Taiwan independence supporter. The criticism of the United States sports star attracted 390 million views on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo, CNA reported. However, the number of views later dropped sharply, hinting at official interference to downplay the subject of Howard’s comments.

Reacting to the controversy, the athlete said he is not a politician, and did not mean to hurt anybody’s feelings. He said that he has visited China and respects the Chinese, while he also respects the Taiwanese.

Howard, 37, added that when he travels from one place to another, he would call them countries. "Everybody lives on the same planet, in the same world, and I treat everybody equally," he told reporters.

The video with Lai posted was Thursday (May 11), and is promoting a tourism campaign that offers foreign visitors the chance to spend a night in the Presidential Office Building in Taipei City.