China dings Medtronic over Taiwan reference

Cyberspace regulators in China issued sharp criticism to Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) and other companies today for referring to Taiwan as an independent country on their websites, classifying it as “illegal content”. The medtech titan was told to make a public apology and remove the content. Ten minutes before a deadline set by Chinese regulators, Medtronic said in a statement that it understood China’s position, but the company was just trying to help its users find particular locations. Medtronic and others were asked to complete a “comprehensive self-examination,” according to a report from U.S. News. “Cyberspace is not an extralegal place and multinational corporations should abide by relevant laws and regulations,” China’s Shanghai Cyberspace Authority reportedly said. China also rebuked fashion company Zara and Delta Air Lines over the content of its websites. Delta wrote an apology on its website, saying that it’s sorry “for hurting the feelings of the Chinese people.” The airline is reportedly conducting a thorough internal examination. Zara has added a statement to its website apologizing for the content, claiming it would undergo a “self-examination.” China and Taiwan split in 1949 after a civil war, but the Chinese government still considers the island as its territory. The post China dings Medtronic over Taiwan reference appeared first on MassDevice.
Source: Mass Device - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Legal News Wall Street Beat Medtronic Source Type: news