Aldo Mas
11/03/2018
- Daimler, German automobile manufacturer that counts Mercedes-Benz among its star brands, has apologized to China for quoting the Tibetan spiritual leader in an advertising message
- The Chinese Government compared the Dalai Lama to Hitler: "¿How would the German people react if a company raved about Adolf Hitler and spread his quotes?, or beliefs, who try to separate Germany?"
- China has become the German manufacturer's largest market in the last decade. Since February, the Chinese automotive group Geely has been Daimler's largest shareholder.
German automaker Daimler has just learned a hard lesson in one of its most important markets.: China. There Daimler sold a little more 600.000 cars last year. and there, The Dalai Lama can never be a source of inspiration. To the Tibetan spiritual leader, a Nobel Peace Prize winner 82 years, Chinese authorities consider him a dangerous separatist.
For his worst enemies in the Chinese Communist Party, The Tibetan leader is a “wolf dressed in a monk's suit”. Much worse ideas are circulating in the public opinion of the Asian giant. The Dalai Lama is compared to the leader of totalitarian Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler.
Daimler came face to face with this reality at the beginning of February.. The company launched an advertising campaign with the aim of inspiring its followers on social networks. In it, a photo of a luxurious Mercedes-Benz model gleaming parked under a quote from the Dalai Lama. “Look at situations from all angles, and you will be more open", it was read in said message, a phrase from the Monday motivations series with which Daimler is present on the networks.
That message no longer exists. It didn't even last 24 hours. Because it went viral, but in the worst possible way. It unleashed a wave of reactions against the German brand in China, to which Daimler responded by deleting the message and apologizing on the Weibo social network. – The Chinese Twitter version. “This morning we published an incorrect message on our international networks”, according to Daimler's apology. “We will take steps to deepen our understanding of Chinese culture and its values.”, including that of our workers abroad, "with the aim that this does not happen again.", read in Daimler's explanation, whose headquarters are located in Stuttgart.
In the Daimler offices they respond to eldiario.es with the same reflections. “We regret having inconvenienced our customers and ask for your understanding.”, indicate from the German company. They still complain in the company. It does not seem exaggerated in view of the scandal generated in China. People's Daily, the English version of the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, showed his indignation when he reported the entry with which Daimler wanted to appeal to the wisdom of the Dalai Lama to promote its cars.
Tolerance is a virtue of Chinese culture, but tolerance has its limits. ¿How would the German people react if a company raved about Adolf Hitler and spread his quotes?, or beliefs, who try to separate Germany?”, was read in the official newspaper of the Chinese regime, which established a parallel between the Führer and the Dalai Lama, who lives since 1959 exiled in India. In this medium they did not seem to believe the apologies offered by Daimler. “Cultural tolerance should not be an excuse for a foreign company to challenge the boundaries of a host country”, según People's Daily.
"Un lamentable ejercicio de autocensura"
Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler, recently wrote a letter to Shi Mingde, the Chinese ambassador to Germany, regretting what happened. Zetsche regretted a “mistake” which “has caused harm and inconvenience to the Chinese people”, according to the text of the letter, whose existence is confirmed to eldiario.es by sources from the German company. Part of its content has been made public in the media.
In Germany, The media has covered the company's situation without paying excessive attention to what Kai Müller calls “an exercise in self-censorship.”” from Daimler. Müller heads the Berlin offices of the International Campaign for Tibet, that supports the peaceful resistance of the Tibetan people. “We see the apology from Mercedes-Benz and Daimler as a bow to an authoritarian dictatorship”, dice Müller. “For a quote from the Dalai Lama addressed to the whole world, "You don't have to apologize.", duck.
Chinese shareholders and millionaire investments
It is clear that Daimler thinks differently. China has become the German manufacturer's largest market in the last decade. last month, the Chinese automotive group Geely landed in the shareholding of Daimler putting 7.500 million euros on the table, as reported by the Bloomberg news agency. Geely is now Daimler's largest shareholder. Controlling a 9,69% of the securities of the Teutonic company.
Also at the end of February, Daimler made public its intentions to expand its production of high-end vehicles in China. For it, will allocate with its partners in the Asian giant market until 11.900 Millions of euros. “Daimler is interested in presenting itself well to the Government of China, something that seems regrettable to us”, according to Müller.
Daimler is not the only brand that has faced official Chinese positions on Tibet and the disputed territory of the Asian giant.. For example, the Spanish clothing store chain Zara, just like the American Marriott – a luxury hotel chain – Delta Airlines or the medical instrument manufacturer Medtronic were previously forced to apologize to the Beijing regime. On Zara's website, Marriott and Delta Airlines appeared as “countries” Tibet or Taiwan. But in territories China claims its sovereignty.
Daimler has been the last major European firm to realize that, en la China de Xi Jinping, better not to mention Tibet or the Dalai Lama. “Chinese core interests cannot be challenged. Without sincere reflection, "No car business will survive in China.", se leía en People's Daily. Daimler, and anyone who wants to prosper in the gigantic Chinese market, can be warned.
