A daily breakdown of Taiwan’s top stories and why they matter.
The News Lens
Date: 2019/01/21
By: TNL Daily News
Credit: Reuters / TPG
McDonald’s China expressed regret and reiterated its “one China” stance on Saturday after airing an ad on Weibo showing the nationality of a student in the ad as “Taiwan,” prompting Chinese netizens to accuse McDonald’s of supporting Taiwan independence, according to CNA.
“We regret about the ad which had stirred up such an unnecessary misunderstanding,” McDonald’s China said on its Weibo page. “We always hold a solid ‘one China’ stance and we are determined to continue to support China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The video has been withdrawn and we are grateful to the attention and supervision in society.”
Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) chimed in on the controversy on Twitter:
Hamburgers, along with airlines, hotels and bakery chains, have been coerced into recognizing Taiwan as a territory of China in recent months. A report viewed by Reuters last Thursday hints that Beijing’s strategy of pressuring international corporations to adhere to its view of “one China” may continue in 2019. The strategy has been repeatedly criticized by Taiwanese officials, who see it as a means of suppressing Taiwan’s sovereignty and international participation. [FULL STORY]
