KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 19 -- A social media photo posted by Finland's delegate to last month's Miss Universe pageant has ignited widespread backlash across East Asia, spilling into Finnish politics and even affecting the country's flag carrier, according to the BBC.

Sarah Dzafce, 22, who represented Finland at the pageant held in Thailand, uploaded an Instagram photo showing her pulling the corners of her eyes, accompanied by the caption "eating with a Chinese".

The gesture is commonly viewed as racist and disrespectful towards East Asians, and the post quickly went viral, drawing condemnation in Japan, South Korea and China.

The backlash escalated to the point where Dzafce was stripped of her Miss Finland crown, with the Miss Finland Orga...