BMW Accused of Chinese Discrimination in Ice Cream Giveaway at International Motor Show

2023.04.23 Sun posted at 17:30 JST

（ＣＮＮ） At the international motor show held in Shanghai, China, German giant BMW was accused of treating foreigners and Chinese people differently when it distributed free ice cream to visitors. It happened recently.

A video appeared on Chinese social media showing two Chinese employees at a BMW Mini store telling two Chinese visitors that they had run out of ice cream. After that, it was recorded that one was taken out of the ice box and handed to a Westerner.

The video caused a backlash on the Chinese Internet, and was heavily criticized for preferential treatment for foreigners. There were even calls for a boycott of BMW vehicles.

China has become BMW’s largest market, surpassing the United States.

In response to this ice cream uproar, BMW Mini’s Chinese subsidiary issued an apology on the afternoon of the 20th on a major Chinese SNS. He admitted that there were sloppy internal controls and staff negligence.

However, this apology did not appease the dissatisfaction of the Chinese, and on the morning of the 21st, BMW Mini further explained that the Westerners in the video were employees of the company, and that the ice cream they received was reserved for employees. I was forced.

The company said it prepared and distributed 300 ice creams a day for visitors on both the 17th and 18th, leaving a small amount for employees. The four or five foreigners confirmed in the video were also revealed to be employees.

He added that the two Chinese women who were in charge of distributing free ice cream were young and had little work experience.

However, even this defense, which touched on internal affairs, failed to calm Chinese internet public opinion, and calls for a redesign of the public relations system continued.

In recent years, international companies such as BMW, which have expanded into China, have faced boycotts and other acts when their sales promotion activities are considered to be contrary to China’s national interests. This includes expressions on the site that do not consider Taiwan to be part of China’s territory.