Tags:
Journalism of Courage
US auto giant General Motors GM is withdrawing a global advertisement which refers to China as the land where people say 8216;ching-ching,chop suey8217; after admitting it contains 8216;offensive content8217;,a report said today.
The television advert for the Chevrolet Trax SUV,one of GM8217;s latest car models,had been running in Canada since early April and was also posted onto Chevrolet8217;s European website,the South China Morning Post SCMP reported.
The offending advert features a song which includes the lyrics 8220;In the land of Fu Manchu,the girls all now do the Suzie-Q,clap their hands in the centre of the floor,saying 8216;ching-ching,chop suey,swing some more'8221;.
The advert was replaced with a new version without the lyrics for Canadian broadcasters around a week ago and will be removed from all Chevrolet websites worldwide,GM Canada communications director Faye Roberts told the SCMP.
8220;Once the issue was called to our attention,GM immediately removed the offensive content from the commercial,8221; said Roberts.
She said the commercial had 8220;received some negative feedback regarding the lyrics8221; and that 8220;it is never our intention to offend the audience8221;.
The incident comes at a time when GM seeks to maintain its dominance in the lucrative Chinese car market where its sales rose an annual 11.3 per cent last year to a record 2.84 million,according to the company.
Last month the US automaker announced it will this year launch 17 new or updated models in China,the world8217;s largest car consumer,as it aims to make inroads into the country8217;s luxury auto market.
