Emboldened China – and its webizens – telling foreign firms to fall in line

For Mercedes-Benz, it was quoting the Dalai Lama in an Instagram post. For Marriott, it was referring to Tibet and Taiwan as countries in an online customer survey. And for 36 international airlines, it was listing Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau as separate from China on the companies’ websites.

Over the last several months, China has gone on the offensive against foreign companies that have, in one way or another, contravened the government’s position on long-standing territorial disputes. Government officials and internet users have been especially quick to lash out against any hint of support for an independentTaiwan: a self-ruled island that Beijing considers a breakaway