7th June 2023 – (Taipei) Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has ordered the 7-Eleven convenience store chain to remove beer labeled “Taiwan, China” and “Taipei City, China” from sale after netizens spotted the wrong names on cardboard boxes for imported “iseLect iBEER” lager. The packaging listed “Asahi Beer Co. Taiwan, China” as the importer and “Taipei City, China” as part of its address. The beer was brewed in Shenzhen, China, but 7-Eleven said it had not paid attention to the labelling.
The MOEA stated that if its departments or the Ministry of Finance (MOF) had noticed the references to China on imported products, they would have immediately ordered the removal of the name. The Liberty Times reported that the MOEA has taken this issue seriously and has directed the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection to investigate whether the product labelling violates the law.
The incident has sparked outrage among Taiwanese netizens, who accused 7-Eleven of disrespecting Taiwan’s sovereignty. Some have called for a boycott of 7-Eleven stores, while others have criticized the convenience store chain for not being vigilant enough in checking the labels on its products.
In response, 7-Eleven has issued an apology, stating that it did not intend to offend anyone, and that it takes the matter seriously. The convenience store chain, which is part of Taiwan’s Uni-President Enterprises food conglomerate, has also removed the product from its shelves.