Sanrio apologises and ends Hello Kitty's tie-up with Japanese spy drama Vivant after Chinese backlash.
Japan's Sanrio apologised in statements on its website late on 28 October and on 29 October and ended its merchandise collaboration featuring Hello Kitty and other characters with TBS spy drama Vivant, along with all follow-up projects and promotions, saying the tie-up contained elements inconsistent with its corporate values and that it would strengthen review of future collaborations. The drama's second season shows Chinese agents torturing a Japanese operative, and Chinese state media including CCTV and the Global Times, as well as Chinese social media users, accused it of smearing China. Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on 29 October the drama again exposed forces in Japan that try to vilify China through cultural products and spread anti-China sentiment, which should alert the international community and "discerning people in Japan". The BBC and AFP reported that the TBS president said the show is entirely fictional and not intended to disparage any country; the BBC noted that China-Japan ties have been at their lowest in years since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Taiwan remarks last November, and that several Chinese brands dropped French footballer Kylian Mbappé this week over comments about Mao Zedong.
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