Following criticism in China of the VIVANT and Hello Kitty collaboration, Sanrio’s Chinese subsidiary announced the suspension of all collaboration-related activities along with an apology. Editorials including one by the Global Times covered the move, drawing attention to future developments.
In developments surrounding reactions in both Japan and China, Sanrio’s Chinese subsidiary, 三麗鴎（上海）国際貿易, apologized with the words “深表歉意” following criticism in China and issued a statement suspending the Hello Kitty and VIVANT collaboration, as well as all related future projects and promotional activities. The statement was posted on the official Hello Kitty Weibo account.
Chinese media, led by the Global Times, took a more critical tone in an editorial dated the same day and pointed to moves toward politicizing the relationship between the work and the companies. Other media, including Kyodo News, also reported on the development, resulting in coverage from both Japanese and Chinese perspectives.
As additional context, the official release was published under the name of Sanrio’s Chinese subsidiary, while the issues raised in the editorial and other reports indicate that the matter could affect the global expansion of Japanese companies. The treatment of the collaboration and sponsor responses may change going forward.