AP said that a Beijing businessman says anti-Chinese prejudice and double standards are behind Iceland’s decision to turn down his proposal to build a vast nature retreat in the north Atlantic island nation.

Iceland’s interior ministry said Friday it had rejected an application by billionaire Huang Nubo’s Zhongkun Group to buy 30,639 hectares (120 square miles) of land on the north shore of Iceland.

Instead the businessman now plans to put his money in other Scandinavian countries.

"Finland, Sweden and Denmark have all thrown us olive branches with offerings for similar projects," Yao Chen , spokeswoman for Zhongkun, told South China Morning Post. "We are not upset by the rejection in Iceland. We will continue our worldwide expansion."

However, state media and many mainland internet users took the rejection in Iceland as a deep offence to their growing pride in China's rising power and international influence.

"From 2007 to the date of Haung's application, the Icelandic government received 25 foreign applications for land purchases. They rejected only one," a Xinhua editorial said, according to South China Morning Post said.