Hello Kitty maker Sanrio cuts ties with TV spy show after China backlash

Sanrio, the creator of Hello Kitty, has ended its partnership with a Japanese TV spy show called VIVANT following a backlash from China. This marks the second incident in a short span of time to underscore the delicate position foreign entities must maintain in the lucrative Chinese market. The decision was made by Sanrio's Chinese affiliate just days after French soccer star Kylian Mbappe apologized for remarks about the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, leading several Chinese sponsors to sever ties with him.

The TV show, produced by Japanese broadcaster TBS and accessible on Netflix, revolves around Japanese spies and a fictional Chinese intelligence agency called Tent. The latest season of VIVANT has depicted Chinese agents capturing and torturing some of the Japanese spies. The controversy surrounding Sanrio's line of toys, including Hello Kitty dressed as spies from the show, has been brewing on Chinese social media for several days before it escalated recently when Chinese state media intensified its condemnation.

Sanrio's Chinese subsidiary issued an apology, stating that the collaboration contained expressions that conflicted with the Sanrio Group's corporate philosophy. Consequently, the company has decided to terminate the collaboration and all future projects and promotional activities associated with it. TBS, however, has not yet commented on the cancellation, stating that the drama is entirely fictional and has no intention of disparaging any specific country.

Tensions between China and Japan have escalated since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested last year that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a military response from Tokyo. China has urged its citizens not to visit Japan and has restricted the export of rare earth minerals, crucial in the production of items ranging from cars to weapons.

Despite the backlash, many Japanese businesses, including Sanrio, continue to rely on China for their sales. Sanrio's sales in China amounted to 9.8 billion yen ($62 million) in the first quarter, a nearly 25% increase compared to the same period last year.