Daimler executive is removed after accusations of insulting Chinese

Beijing

A SINGLE spark can start a prairie fire, Mao Zedong said. And being accused of a bigoted outburst can start a wildfire on the Internet in China, as a manager for Daimler, the German carmaker, has learned to his regret.

Daimler Greater China said it had removed a manager after a "regrettable matter". The e-mailed statement from the company, a unit of Daimler, which makes Mercedes-Benz cars and other prestigious vehicles, did not identify the manager or say exactly what he had done.