After Mbappé, the Hello Kitty brand apologizes to China over another controversy
The Japanese company behind Hello Kitty announced that it will end its commercial partnership with the television series "Vivant."
The Japanese company behind Hello Kitty announced that it will end its commercial partnership with the television series "Vivant," after facing criticism over a plotline depicting an organization linked to China torturing a member of a Japanese military intelligence unit.
Sanrio, the company behind the popular character Hello Kitty, apologized on Thursday for the controversy and announced the cancellation of its commercial partnership with the series. In a statement, the company said it had received feedback from various sectors regarding the products associated with the drama and stated: "We sincerely apologise for any concern this may have caused."
The company explained that the project "contains expressions that are inconsistent with the Sanrio Group's corporate philosophy." For that reason, it stated that it had "decided to cease this collaboration, as well as all subsequent projects and promotional campaigns."
The partnership included a line of promotional products in which Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters were depicted as characters from "Vivant," a series currently in its second season.
Before the apology, the Chinese state-run media outlet Global Times had accused the series of "smearing China" and claimed that it had "sparked shock and fierce backlash on social media."
The media outlet also argued that the production reflected the "anti-China narrative of the current conservative Japanese right-wing administration," referring to the government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Relations between Tokyo and Beijing, which have historically been tense, have deteriorated since Takaichi suggested last year that Japan might intervene militarily in the event of a conflict involving Taiwan. China claims the self-governing island as part of its territory and has vowed to bring it under its control.
TBS defends the fictional nature of the series
The private network TBS, which produced "Vivant," defended the drama's content and denied that its intention was to attack any particular country.
"It is a completely fictional entertainment work," the broadcaster said in a statement sent to AFP.
"There is absolutely no intention to deliver messages that disparage any particular nation or hurt public sentiment," he added.
The network's president also told Japanese media that TBS "does not in any way take a position that foments conflict between nations or condones the use of force or violence."
The commercial partnership had drawn criticism from users of the Chinese social media platform Weibo. "Sanrio, you are a brand for conveying a message of beauty and goodness, why have you got involved with this?" one user wrote.
"It's disappointing," noted another publication, which recalled that the company's founder had participated for years in various anti-war activities and argued that Sanrio had originally been founded on the ideals of ending conflicts and valuing peace.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun joined in the criticism during a regular press conference held on Thursday, following Sanrio's announcement.
"This television drama once again reveals the persistent existence inside Japan of a force that seeks to use cultural products to vilify and smear China and spread anti-Chinese sentiment," he said.
"This should raise alarm amongst the international community and enlightened individuals within Japan," he added.
The controversy comes on top of the Kylian Mbappé case
The French player apologized Tuesday for his remarks, while Real Madrid also apologized to Beijing on Wednesday. The controversy sparked a storm on social media and led to Spanish soccer being pulled from Chinese state television.
In an excerpt from a video interview with the French program "The Bridge," which was later taken down, Mbappé explained that he had found an internet meme funny in which his face was superimposed on that of "some guy, I think a Chinese dictator."
Criticism of the statements about Mao reflects the sensitivity in China regarding references to the former leader, whose responsibility for the deaths of millions of people has been highlighted by historians.
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