Jewelry brand Bulgari faced strong backlash on Chinese social media after users discovered that it listed Taiwan as a country on its website, causing widespread public anger.
On Tuesday, Bulgari issued an apology statement on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter, acknowledging the error and reaffirming its unwavering commitment to respecting China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Although Bulgari promptly corrected the mistake on its website, the anger continued to simmer on Chinese social media. Users quickly noticed the brand had not issued a similar apology on its respective primary Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts.
The hashtag “Bulgari don’t make your apology exclusive for China” started trending on Weibo. People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of the China’s Communist Party, posted an accusation, labeling Bulgari’s apology as “unconvincing” and demanded a fundamental shift in its principles.
China’s response emphatically underscores the political status of Taiwan is a “red line that cannot be crossed.”
Chinese internet users expressed their grievances in the comment section, condemning the Italian luxury brand as hypocritical and questioning the sincerity of its statement. Many called for a boycott. Some urged Bulgari’s Chinese region ambassadors, including Mulan star Liu Yifei and China’s first-ever supermodel, Liu Wen, to immediately terminate their contracts with Bulgari to demonstrate opposition to Taiwan’s autonomy.
“The fact that it’s not posted on the foreign sites indicates that Bulgari posted this only for money. It probably didn’t even realize it had made a mistake,” one user remarked.
China Daily, an English-language daily newspaper owned by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party, also joined the condemnation, emphasizing, “No individual should underestimate the strong determination, firm will, and immense capability of the Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Previously, brands such as Nike, Adidas, H&M and Versace all evoked fury on Chinese social media for their perceived ambiguity on territorial issues concerning Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Bulgari, owned by LVMH, is a prestigious jewelry brand known for its exquisite craftsmanship and luxurious designs.
Edited by: James Sutton
Featured image: Photo by Joseph Chan on Unsplash
