China fines Muji for packaging that lists Taiwan as a country (updated)

RYOHIN KEIKAKU

24/05/2018 04:02

* Muji fined 200,000 yuan for violating China advertising
law
    * Problem was packaging for 119 clothes hangers from Japan
    * Second time Muji has been hit by such criticism this year

 (Adds Muji statement, similar cases)
    SHANGHAI, May 24 (Reuters) - Japanese retailer Muji has been
fined 200,000 yuan ($31,300) in Shanghai for using packaging
that lists Taiwan as a country, underscoring China's growing
sensitivity to how companies refer to the self-ruled island. 
    This marks the second time Muji has been hit by such
criticism from China this year, and comes after a number of
foreign firms including Delta Air Lines  DAL.N  and Marriott
International Inc  MAR.O  have apologised for similar actions.
    Muji, which is owned by Ryohin Keikaku Co  7453.T , imported
 119 clothes hangers from Japan last year in packaging that
marked Taiwan as the "country of origin", the Shanghai
Administration for Industry and Commerce said in a statement.
    The Muji packaging violated Chinese advertising law which
warns against hurting China's dignity and interest, said the
statement, which was published last month but reported by
Chinese media on Wednesday. 
    "The party did not properly fulfil their inspection
obligations which lead to the above-mentioned goods to enter the
market to be sold," the regulator said, adding that Muji had
since changed the packaging and made corrections. 
    A Ryohin Keikaku spokeswoman in Tokyo confirmed the fine and
said the company would make thorough efforts to comply with the
regulation.
    Its Shanghai unit also pulled a catalogue in January after
authorities complained that it had published an "inaccurate" map
with wrong borders and missing islands.
    China has been increasing its efforts to police language
used by firms to describe territories such as Taiwan, Hong Kong
and Macau. Its actions, particularly those directed at foreign
airlines, have been criticised by the White House as "Orwellian
nonsense."  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1SC0BB
    Taiwan is China's most sensitive territorial issue. Beijing
considers the self-ruled, democratic island a wayward province.
Hong Kong and Macau are former European colonies that are now
part of China but run largely autonomously.
    In January, U.S. carrier Delta apologised for listing Taiwan
and Tibet as countries on its website, while hotel chain
Marriott International's Chinese website was suspended for a
week for listing Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as separate
countries in a customer questionnaire.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1P733D urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1P63BS
 ($1 = 6.3875 Chinese yuan)

 (Reporting by Brenda Goh, Additional Reporting by Ritsuko
Shimizu in TOKYO; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
 ((brenda.goh@thomsonreuters.com; +86 (0) 21 6104 1763; Reuters
Messaging: brenda.goh.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))