US candy giant Mars Wrigley has insisted it "respects China's national sovereignty" and apologized after referring to Taiwan in an ad for its Snickers bar.
Screenshots of nut confectionery marketing featuring South Korean boyband BTS were quickly picked up on social media in mainland China
Any suggestion where the island is an independent nation is highly prohibited.
"We are aware of reports of Snickers-related activity in certain regions of Asia,"
"Take this very seriously and express our deepest apologies," a Mars Wrigley statement posted on Friday
The company has asked the local team of Snickers to check its official website and make adjustments
And check social media accounts to ensure the company's promotional material is accurate", company added.
Hours after the first statement, Snickers China shared another Weibo post
Saying that "there is only one China in this world, and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory".
Mars Wrigley is far from the first international firm to apologize over fears of losing access to China's massive consumer market.