China fines & warns 7-Eleven for 'wrongful act' of calling Taiwan a country

China has fined and issued a warning to the Japanese-owned operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores over its websites listing Taiwan as a country and even displaying the maps that Beijing said contained erroneous borders for Xinjiang and Tibet. According to The Guardian, Beijing municipal government fined the company  50,000 yuan or $7,842 for the “errors” such as the “wrongful act of assigning Taiwan province as an independent country”.

China has continued to claim Taiwan as its own breakaway province on the global stage in several instances even though it has never ruled the island. Beijing municipal government also said that the 7-Eleven website failed to use China’s names for some of the disputed islands in the South China Sea including Japanese-administered Senkakus, which Beijing refers to as the Diaoyu islands.

According to the report, Beijing issued the punishment to 7-Eleven stores in December but it was first reported on Friday by Asia Nikkei. It is to note that the convenience store chain is spread across Asia and the stores in Beijing are owned by a domestic outpost of 7-Eleven Japan, which is a subsidiary of Japanese firm 7 & i Holdings, as per the report. 

Without ever ruling Taiwan, China claims the island as its own province. Beijing has also showcased hypersensitivity to any act or reference that supports Taipei’s independence or its position as a sovereign nation. As Beijing ramps up its assertiveness in the region, sparking criticism from across the globe, recent years have witnessed several high-profile instances including nationalistic backlash and boycotts. China also managed to get some profuse apologies.

Seven & i Holdings acknowledged the complaint 

For the latest reported instance, Nikkei Asia stated that Seven & i Holdings acknowledged the complaint and the company’s spokesperson was quoted as saying, “This incident is true, and we sincerely accept” the warning and fine. The spokesperson reportedly added, “We will do our best to prevent a recurrence”. In May 2021, US professional wrestler and a co-star of block start film ‘Fast & Furious 9’, John Cena had to upload an apology in Mandarin for any offence he caused to Chinese people by referring to Taiwan as a country during the promotions of the movie.

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