Gap Destroys Shirts With 'Incorrect' Map of China

The clothing retailer Gap has apologized for selling T-shirts with what it says was an "erroneous" map of China, in what the AP calls the latest example of corporate kowtowing to Beijing. In a posting late Monday on China's Weibo microblogging platform, the company said it discovered that some T-shirts sold overseas "had an erroneous design of China's map"—one that apparently didn't include Taiwan. "We are truly sorry about this unintentional mistake," Gap said, promising to carry out "more rigorous reviews" in the future.

Gap took action after photos began circulating on Chinese social media of a T-shirt with a map that didn't include Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing regards as Chinese territory. The map also appeared to leave out southern Tibet and disputed South China Sea islands, the state-owned Global Times said, adding that it drew hundreds of complaints on Weibo. The company also said all the shirts in China have been recalled and destroyed. It was unclear if the shirts in all of Gap's markets worldwide would also be destroyed. Company representatives at Gap's Shanghai office could not be reached immediately for comment. (New Zealand has a map problem, too.)