Brands Face Backlash in China Over Cultural and Geopolitical Issues

This roundup covers brands that have encountered backlash in China over advertising, geopolitical questions and human rights issues. Swatch apologized in August 2025 and removed advertisements showing an Asian male model pulling the corners of the model's eyes upward and backward. The model's gesture formed a "slanted eye" pose.

A Houston Rockets official posted a tweet supporting Hong Kong democracy protests in 2019. The tweet angered Beijing, fans in China and the team's business partners in an important market. The NBA expressed regret over the tweet, drawing criticism in the United States from some senators who characterized the response as censorship of free speech. The controversy disrupted the NBA's longstanding relationship with state broadcaster CCTV, causing an 18-month blackout that ended in 2022. The controversy also interrupted NBA preseason games in China for six years, before the league returned to play in Macao in 2025.

Multiple brands in China dropped Kylian Mbappe in late October over remarks referring to the late leader Mao Zedong. Jokes and satire about Mao remain socially taboo in China. Consumer brands operating in China have also faced scrutiny over advertising perceived as culturally insulting and positions on geopolitics or human rights.

Dolce & Gabbana canceled a Shanghai fashion show in 2018 after celebrities in China and social media users criticized the brand's advertisements. The advertisements depicted a woman from China having difficulty eating pizza and spaghetti with chopsticks.

Brand ambassadors in China ended relationships with Coach and Givenchy in 2019 over products identifying Taiwan and Hong Kong as countries. The ambassadors said the products violated China's sovereignty. Marriott apologized in 2018 after a customer questionnaire presented Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan as separate countries. The questionnaire prompted public anger and an investigation by authorities in Shanghai.

A map displayed during a Dior presentation in 2019 omitted Taiwan from China, prompting social media criticism. Dior apologized and reiterated support for the "One China" principle. Yang Mi ended a brand ambassador partnership with Versace in 2019 after widespread criticism of a T-shirt identifying Hong Kong and Macau as countries. Versace said the company had withdrawn the T-shirts from sale and destroyed the garments.

Gigi Hadid and Katy Perry could not attend Victoria's Secret's Shanghai fashion show in 2017 following criticism of actions perceived as supporting Taiwan. Mercedes apologized to people in China in 2018 after an Instagram post paired a Dalai Lama quotation with a luxury car.

Burberry, Adidas, Nike and H&M faced online attacks and consumer boycotts in 2021 over earlier statements rejecting cotton sourced from Xinjiang. The statements followed reports of human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims, which Beijing denies. Burberry lost a brand ambassador, and a popular video game removed Burberry's signature tartan design. H&M became a principal target of the boycott, and major online platforms in China removed H&M. Actor Wang Yibo ended a collaboration with Nike. Boycotts also reduced Adidas sales.