Mars Wrigley, makers of the Snickers candy bar, apologised on Friday for a Snickers product launch which Chinese social media users said suggested that Taiwan was a country.
Videos and pictures of an event promoting a limited edition Snickers bar that was said to be only available in the “countries” of South Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan went viral on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo on Friday.
Mars Wrigley on its Snickers China Weibo account published an apology and said the relevant content had been amended.
“Mars Wrigley respects China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity and conducts its business operations in strict compliance with local Chinese laws and regulations,” Mars Wrigley added.
However, the social media backlash did not abate as many users were irate that the U.S. company’s statement did not say Taiwan was a part of China, a cornerstone of Chinese foreign policy.
(Source Reuters)
