Is Taiwan not a country? Snickers chocolate maker apologises for ad suggesting so

Backlash from social media users in China caused Snickers chocolate bar maker Mars Wrigley to apologise on Friday over a product launch ad. People on social media claimed that the ad suggested that Taiwan was a country. 

Users of Weibo, the top social media platform in China, were up in arms as snaps and clips were widely circulated of a promotion of a limited edition Snickers on the official website. They showed that the limited edition candy bar was only available in the "countries" of South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Massive anger from users led Mars Wrigley to issue an apology on its Snickers China Weibo account. It said that the relevant content had been amended.

"Mars Wrigley respects China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity and conducts its business operations in strict compliance with local Chinese laws and regulations,” the Snickers maker added.

The backlash did not stop with the apology as some users were still left dismayed, claiming that the US confectionary giant had not stated Taiwan as a part of China in its statement on the issue. 

"Say it: Taiwan is an inseparable part of China’s territory!" one user’s comment with 8,000 likes was quoted by Reuters.

Is Taiwan not a country?

The political status of Taiwan is contentious. Officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), the country is seen by the People's Republic of China (PRC) as part of its territory. The claim is rejected by the government in Taiwan. 

The issue is 7 decades old, dating back to the end of China’s civil war in 1949. The defeated Nationalists fled to the island as the Chinese Communist Party took control of mainland China after its victory in the brutal war. China rejects diplomatic relations with countries that recognise Taiwan. As a consequence, Taiwan has full diplomatic relations with only 13 of the 193 UN member states. 

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(With inputs from Reuters)