French retail giant Carrefour has launched an investigation into an online campaign encouraging Chinese shoppers to boycott its stores.
In a survey by Web portal Netease.com, 95 percent of the 43,000 respondents said they were in favor of a boycott.
Users of chat site QQ.com have also appealed for people to boycott Carrefour, Louis Vuitton and The Body Shop in protest at the disruption caused to the Olympic torch relay in Paris.
Li Jing, public relations manager for Carrefour in Shanghai, said the retailer had begun an investigation into the calls for a boycott.
On April 7, the Olympic torch relay in Paris was interrupted several times. The most notable was when supporters of "Tibetan independence" attempted to snatch the flame from wheelchair-bound torchbearer Jin Jing.
However, not everyone in the online community agreed with the idea of a boycott.
Some said most of Carrefour's staff in China are Chinese, who would be hurt by the action. Others said a boycott would do nothing to affect the supporters of "Tibetan independence".
Bai Yansong, an anchorman with China Central Television, said he opposed the boycott.
Carrefour sells thousands of domestically made products that are produced by millions of Chinese workers, he said.
"If such boycotts are carried out, Chinese people's interests will be harmed," he said.
Carrefour China released a statement via its website on Wednesday saying the company has not or will not do anything to hurt the feelings of Chinese people.
It said allegations that Carrefour supports illegal political organizations are totally fabricated and lack evidence, adding that it reserves the right to take legal action against any individual or organization that creates or spreads such rumors.
Yesterday, LVMH, one of Carrefour's major stockholders, said charges made online that the group funds pro-Tibet "independence forces" are "completely groundless".
In an interview with French daily Le Figaro, Bernard Arnault, chief executive of LVMH, said his company is not giving financial support to the Dalai Lama.
Questions:
1. What percentage of the 43,000 respondents recently surveyed said they were in favor of a boycott of French retail giant Carrefour?
2. Why are Chinese people calling for a boycott of Carrefour?
3. What key points were released by Carrefour China in a statement via its website on Wednesday?
Answers:
1. 95%.
2. Because on April 7, the Olympic torch relay in Paris was interrupted several times, most notably with Tibetan independence protestors attempting to snatch the flame from wheelchair-bound torchbearer Jin Jing, in addition to the allegation that Carrefour's major stockholders fund pro-Tibet "independence forces".
3. -The company has not or will not do anything to hurt the feelings of Chinese people.
-Allegations that Carrefour supports illegal political organizations are totally fabricated and lack evidence,
- It reserves the right to take legal action against any individual or organization that creates or spreads such rumors
（英語點津 Helen 編輯）
About the broadcaster:
Brendan joined The China Daily in 2007 as a language polisher in the Language Tips Department, where he writes a regular column for Chinese English Language learners, reads audio news for listeners and anchors the weekly video news in addition to assisting with on location stories. Elsewhere he writes Op’Ed pieces with a China focus that feature in the Daily’s Website opinion section.
He received his B.A. and Post Grad Dip from Curtin University in 1997 and his Masters in Community Development and Management from Charles Darwin University in 2003. He has taught in Japan, England, Australia and most recently China. His articles have featured in the Bangkok Post, The Taipei Times, The Asia News Network and in-flight magazines.
