AFP, Beijing :
South Korea’s Lotte Group faces an escalating backlash in China after providing land for a US missile-defence system, amid calls for a wider Chinese rejection of all things Korean.
South Korea’s fifth-largest company, Lotte signed a deal Tuesday to provide land for the US system, which was prompted by threats from North Korea but has also angered Beijing, which fears it will undermine its own military capabilities.
Lotte has already suffered business setbacks and faces mounting threats of retaliation over the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.
The Chinese producer of one of the country’s most popular snacks has withdrawn its goods from Lotte Marts across China, saying Wednesday it would “never cooperate” with the company.
A Beijing supermarket supply association representing more than 120 enterprises also reportedly plans to retaliate.
A consumer boycott has been launched in northeastern Jilin province, where protesters rolled out a banner in front of a Lotte Mart store on Sunday.
“Lotte supports THAAD, get out of China immediately,” the banner read, according to images on social media.
Last month Lotte was forced to halt construction of a $2.6 billion theme-park project in northeastern China after authorities suddenly found safety problems, and Lotte websites have this week been downed by apparent cyber-attacks. China’s frequently nationalistic Global Times newspaper wrote in an editorial Thursday that “Chinese society has formed a collective determination to impose sanctions on South Korea.”
Lotte Group said it had no official statement on the backlash when contacted by AFP.
The stakes are high for Lotte, which has invested more than ten trillion won ($8.76 billion) in its Chinese operations since 1994. It now has 22 Chinese subsidiaries, 120 outlets and 26,000 employees.
South Korea’s Lotte Group faces an escalating backlash in China after providing land for a US missile-defence system, amid calls for a wider Chinese rejection of all things Korean.
South Korea’s fifth-largest company, Lotte signed a deal Tuesday to provide land for the US system, which was prompted by threats from North Korea but has also angered Beijing, which fears it will undermine its own military capabilities.
Lotte has already suffered business setbacks and faces mounting threats of retaliation over the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.
The Chinese producer of one of the country’s most popular snacks has withdrawn its goods from Lotte Marts across China, saying Wednesday it would “never cooperate” with the company.
A Beijing supermarket supply association representing more than 120 enterprises also reportedly plans to retaliate.
A consumer boycott has been launched in northeastern Jilin province, where protesters rolled out a banner in front of a Lotte Mart store on Sunday.
“Lotte supports THAAD, get out of China immediately,” the banner read, according to images on social media.
Last month Lotte was forced to halt construction of a $2.6 billion theme-park project in northeastern China after authorities suddenly found safety problems, and Lotte websites have this week been downed by apparent cyber-attacks. China’s frequently nationalistic Global Times newspaper wrote in an editorial Thursday that “Chinese society has formed a collective determination to impose sanctions on South Korea.”
Lotte Group said it had no official statement on the backlash when contacted by AFP.
The stakes are high for Lotte, which has invested more than ten trillion won ($8.76 billion) in its Chinese operations since 1994. It now has 22 Chinese subsidiaries, 120 outlets and 26,000 employees.
