Mercedes Joins Apology Spree to China After Quoting Dalai Lama

(Bloomberg) -- Daimler AG unit Mercedes-Benz is the latest international company offering the Chinese an open apology for quoting the Dalai Lama on Instagram, weeks after Chinese regulators probed Marriott International for listing Tibet as a nation on its website.

The automaker attached a quote from the Tibetan spiritual leader to a post showcasing a sleek luxury model -- “Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open.” The post garnered more than 89 thousand likes before it was removed, according to a screenshot by the Global Times, the media mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party that was quick to criticize Mercedes-Benz’s message.

“We fully understand this incident has hurt the feelings of Chinese people, including Mercedes-Benz’s employees in China,” the company said in a statement on its Weibo after deleting the post it said contained “extremely mistaken information.”

The Chinese foreign ministry urged foreign companies to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity after the Marriott probe. Retailer ZARA and airline operator Delta also issued apologies for listing Tibet and Taiwan as nations on their websites.

To contact the reporter on this story: Linly Lin in London at llin153@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Christopher Kingdon at ckingdon@bloomberg.net, Lukas Strobl

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