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Firm to stop selling incorrect toy globe

This combo picture shows the talking ''Smart Globe,'' which shows ''China-ruled Taiwan Island'' in accordance with Beijing's instructions. PHOTO: AFP

An educational globe toy portraying Taiwan as a part of China at the insistence of Beijing is to be withdrawn, the Japanese firm that makes it said yesterday.

The talking "Smart Globe," aimed at Japanese children, gives information about countries when they are touched.

The ?29,400 (US$270) globe, manufactured in China by Japan's Gakken Toys Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Gakken Co Ltd, proved to be popular, with the first batch of 10,000 quickly selling out after its release last year.

The globe shows "Taiwan Island" and says that it is "the People's Republic of China," the official name of communist China.

Gakken said it had received complaints and apologized for its "inappropriate expression and display" on the globe.

"We deeply apologize for causing a tremendous nuisance," the company said in a statement.

It said it had advised subsidiary Gakken Toys to stop selling the globe. The group will offer full refunds starting next week for those already sold.

A Gakken spokesman said the company had initially planned simply to display "Taiwan," as is standard in Japanese school textbooks, but Beijing intervened.

"The place of production was China," he said. "The Chinese government's stance was that we could not export unless we changed the expression."

"We obeyed it although we had wavered on if we should follow the Chinese instructions or give up" on the product, he said. "We have faced accusations that we lack common sense."

A similar globe by another Japanese manufacturer does not speak even if the user touches Taiwan.

Japan only recognizes Beijing, which considers Taiwan to be as a part of China.

Since it switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1972, Tokyo has barred official contacts with Taiwan, a former Japanese colony, even though Taiwan enjoys widespread sympathy among Japanese conservatives.
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