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China not lovin' fast-food firm's Taiwan pins

A McDonald's promotional pin is pictured with ``ROC Taiwan'' in Chinese and English printed on it. The pin is part of a promotional campaign in which McDonald's is giving out pins for each nation participating in the soccer World Cup, plus one for Taiwan. The pins are produced in China, which has reportedly seized the Taiwan ones. PHOTO: CHANG JUI-CHEN, TAIPEI TIMES

China's campaign to stamp out Taiwan's sovereign identity is now targeting McDonald's promotional merchandise, according to a report.

The Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister newspaper) reported yesterday that soccer fans have been unable to collect a complete set of World Cup pins from McDonald's restaurants because China has confiscated the Taiwan pins, which were made by a Chinese factory.

The newspaper said that McDonald's, a 2006 FIFA World Cup sponsor, launched a promotional campaign this month in Taiwan, giving customers who order a Big Mac a complimentary World Cup pin.

McDonald's restaurants in Taiwan are giving out 33 pins -- one for each of the 32 World Cup countries plus Taiwan. The Taiwan pin looks the same as the other World Cup pins but is printed with Taiwan's formal name, the Republic of China (ROC).

China objects to that title, arguing that Taiwan is a province of China and should be referred to as "Chinese Taipei" or "Taiwan Province."

McDonald's hired a Chinese factory to make the pins, the first shipment of which slipped through Chinese customs, the report said. But when China realized what was printed on the pins, it confiscated them from later shipments, it added, citing McDonald's employees at a branch in Fengyuan (豐原) as well as a branch on Chungshan North Road in Taipei.

However, McDonald's yesterday denied that the absence of Taiwan pins was due to confiscation by Chinese authorities.

A public relations firm in Taiwan retained by McDonald's said that the restaurants had merely run out of Taiwan pins and apologized to consumers, the report said.

"We've already ordered more [Taiwan pins], and they should be available around June 20," a McDonald's representative said.

The Consumers' Foundation, however, accused the fast-food giant of misleading the public.

"Whatever the reason is [for the lack of pins], McDonald's advertising has misled consumers, whose choices have been restricted," Li Feng-ao (李鳳翱), the foundation's director was quoted as saying in the report.
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