You're right Jon, Jim has a good point. It doesn't do to be too relaxed about anything which might be construed as racist nowadays. And I wouldn't for the world insult anyone or cause them pain for any reason, let alone their race.
Being 'PC' is better than having prejudices and upsetting folk, even unintentionally.

I had a lovely Chinese friend at Edinburgh University called Betty Ko. She too was from HK, but her family had moved there from Canton.
She taught me Cantonese, and introduced me to Chinese food, which I still like very much today.