Mercedes-Benz apologizes to Chinese for controversial post

Mercedes-Benz apologized to Chinese consumers on Tuesday after it posted a photo of a luxury car along with a quote from the separatist Dalai Lama on Instagram.

The German automaker later deleted the “MondayMotivation” post, and issued an apology.

In a “MondayMotivation” hashtagged post on Instagram, Mercedes showed one of its white cars on a beach along with a quote attributed to the Dalai Lama: “Look at the situations from all angles, and you will become more open.”

The post sparked heated discussion on social media, with an angry reaction from some Chinese consumers, who said by quoting Dalai Lama, Mercedes-Benz failed to understand the Chinese history and culture.

Some of the netizens rejected the apology, saying it shows lack of sincerity as it was only posted on a Chinese platform.

Mercedes-Benz last year delivered 587,900 cars in China, showing 25.9 percent growth. Social media noted that the firm should not ignore its success in the country, adding that it may still face backlash despite a timely apology.

(CGTN & REUTERS)