- Viral imagery from a Snickers promotional event claiming Taiwan as a country sparked backlash from Chinese public.
- Mars Wrigley issued an apology on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.
The makers of the Snickers candy bar, Mars Wrigley, issued an apology to China on Friday after the company faced backlash for suggesting Taiwan is an independent country during a promotional event.
The criticism stemmed from a launch event debuting a limited-edition Snickers bar, during which the company said the new product was available in select countries including South Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan, $4.
Images and video from the event went viral on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, prompting Mars Wrigley to issue an apology on its Snickers China Weibo account and assure the public that it would amend the content in question.
"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 said in the statement.
—Global Times (@globaltimesnews) $4
One commenter on Weibo garnered 8,000 likes in their criticism of the advertisement.
"Say it: Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory!" the comment read, according to a $4
Although Taiwan rejects China's sovereignty claims, the Chinese government still considers the island a part of its territory, though the nation has operated as a self-governed democratic country since 1949.
The incident comes on the heels of heightened tension after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi $4 in what Chinese officials called an "egregious pro vacation."
China had tried to thwart the trip ahead of her arrival, citing threats of military attacks and economic consequences. The country later announced military drills around Taiwan and a ban on imports from the country.
China subsequently $4 and her family on Friday. That same day, $4 not to use "made in Taiwan" labels on products to avoid angering China.
"We want Taiwan to always have freedom with security and we're not backing away from that," Pelosi $4 at a press event on Wednesday.