Sanrio ends Hello Kitty tie-in with Japanese spy drama after China backlash

Sanrio, the Hello Kitty maker, has apologised and cut ties with a merchandise line tied to the Japanese TV series Vivant after it drew criticism in China. Two BBC items report the same story.

Timeline

1. 29 Oct, 08:40 UTCFirst appeared on Google Trends
2. 29 Oct, 08:40 UTCPicked up on News

Top sources

• hello kittyGoogle Trends
• Hello Kitty firm apologises, scraps Japan TV tie-up after China angerFree Malaysia Today
• Hello Kitty just got dragged into a China-Japan diplomatic storm over a spy drama collabMalay Mail
• Hello Kitty owner axes Japan show tie-up after China furoreThe Star