Ya Kun outlet in Nanjing under investigation over Taiwan issue

[BEIJING] Authorities in the Chinese eastern city of Nanjing are investigating Singapore coffee-and-toast chain Ya Kun Kaya Toast for listing Taiwan as a country in its promotional material.

Whether the outlet in Qixia district in Nanjing can reopen for business will depend on the outcome of the investigation, the local branch of the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) told The Straits Times on Thursday (Oct 21).

The SAMR is China's top market watchdog, and possesses wide-ranging powers from company licensing to drafting laws.

Market regulators ordered Ya Kun's outlet in Nanjing Golden Eagle shopping mall to close on Monday, after netizens complained that a promotional video shown at the eatery listed Taiwan as among 10 countries where the chain operated. "We will release a statement after investigations are completed," said a representative of SAMR, without specifying a timeline.

Ya Kun's two other outlets in Nanjing are not under investigation as they have not played the controversial video clip at their shops, local media reported.

Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province and has punished corporations and chastised governments for referring to Taiwan as a country.

In 2018, Japanese retailer Muji was fined 200,000 yuan (S$42,077) in Shanghai for using packaging that listed Taiwan as a country.

That year, the Civil Aviation Administration of China also demanded several airlines to remove references to Taiwan as a separate country on their websites.

China's cyber warriors - known infamously as Little Pinks - jumped on Ya Kun on Tuesday, after a state media news outlet released a 44-second clip on the chain's trouble.

A hashtag on microblogging site Weibo referring to the Ya Kun promotional video clip has drawn 94.6 million views and sparked 2,787 discussions so far, with netizens calling for the chain to leave China.

A search on Ya Kun's website returned an error message after clicking on its overseas locations tab, but online marketplace Anxingjiameng lists the company as having 16 outlets in China in cities such as Guangzhou, Chengdu and Hangzhou.

In Singapore, netizens on ST's Facebook page showed their support for Ya Kun by commenting that they would be heading to the eatery chain for their meals.

THE STRAITS TIMES