HONG KONG — Jing Wen, 25, has modeled for Chanel and Prada and appeared on the cover of Vogue in China and Italy. But on Chinese social media, images of her freckled face have provoked a storm of outrage and abuse, spreading under the hashtag “Insult to China.”

The model, known in China by her full name, Li Jingwen, appears in a campaign for the Spanish fashion brand Zara with her lips a striking crimson and the rest of her face bare — leaving her freckles on full display.

The online response in China, where freckles are relatively uncommon and fashion images favor smoothly pale skin, has been fierce. Some users have accused Zara of imposing white beauty standards on Chinese women; others have come to Ms. Li’s defense and questioned the ideals driving the backlash.

One commenter objecting to the image wrote, “Why are freckled faces misconstrued as high fashion?”

“So that’s how you see Asian women?” another added. “I’ve lost all desire to buy things.”