An errant comment from a London-based economist at UBS has sparked furor among Chinese securities professionals, even after the economist apologised and said he didn’t intend to offend anyone with his remarks.

Paul Donovan, chief economist at UBS Global Wealth Management, in a podcast earlier this week discussed rising consumer prices in China and attributed part of the increase to sick pigs, referring to the impact of African swine fever on pork prices in the country.