Medtronic apologises for Tibet reference

Medical device company Medtronic has been reprimanded by the Chinese government for accidentally listing Tibet, Taiwan and Hong Kong as separate countries on its website.

China’s cyberspace regulators called out Medtronic, as well as Zara, Delta Airlines and Marriott for the “illegal” classification of the regions.

Medtronic was ordered to make a public apology and remove the content.

Medtronic issued an apology on its China website, saying: “With regard to the page setting on the Medtronic website, Medtronic fully understands the Chinese government's position on the relevant territorial issues and sincerely apologises for causing public misconduct. We have adjusted the settings for the relevant webpage.”

At a press briefing foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang, said: “We welcome foreign enterprises to do business in China. Meanwhile, they should respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, abide by Chinese law, and respect the Chinese peoples’ feelings, which are the foundation for any corporation to do business in any country.”

Taiwan split from China after a civil war in 1949 but Beijing still continues to claim sovereignty over the island.