The Shanghai Auto Show witnessed the Mini stall giving free ice cream to only foreigners. This resulted in an outrage on Chinese social media. Is BMW-owned Mini actually racist? Molly Gambhir reports.

Gravitas: BMW-owned mini slammed for giving free ice cream only to foreigners

Globally renowned for handcrafting some of the most luxurious vehicles on the planet, Mercedes-Maybach revealed its first-ever electric offering, the EQS 680 SUV, at Shanghai Auto Show 2023. Powering the EQS 680 SUV is a 400V dual-motor powertrain that develops 649 horsepower and 950 Newton-metres of torque. Fitted with Mercedes’ 4-Matic all-wheel-drive as standard, the luxury behemoth can crack the 0 – 100 kilometres an hour run in 4.4 seconds, with a top speed of 210 kilometres an hour. Mercedes also claims a provisional driving range of up to 600 kilometres.

2024 Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV: First electric Maybach arrives with debatable styling

Chinese internet&nbsp;users slammed German automaker BMW on Thursday (April 20) for alleged discrimination at the Shanghai auto show after reports emerged that employees at its Mini booth favoured foreign over local Chinese visitors during an ice cream giveaway promotion.&nbsp;Mini expressed regret over the incident, explaining in a statement on its official Weibo account that it was brought on by subpar internal management and that training would be improved.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, local media reported. The term "BMW Mini" rose to the second-most-searched topic on China's Weibo social media site, with users posting images, videos and critical comments that crossed 93 million views.

The debate occured even as BMW and other German automakers compete to keep on top of consumer trends in a nation where domestic competitors have been aggressively gaining market share at the Shanghai auto show.

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<h2>What was the ice cream controversy?</h2>

In one video, two Chinese employees can be seen telling some locals who came to the Mini stand that the complimentary ice cream had run out, before quickly handing a tub to a foreign attendee.

"This has taken away my good feelings towards BMW," said one Weibo user.

Reuters reported citing a source with insight into the situation that the event occurred after 300 servings of ice cream intended for guests had been distributed by the booth. The foreigner in the video was a BMW employee.

According to the insider, who requested anonymity owing to the sensitivity of the situation, the personnel were not BMW employees but rather temporary workers hired locally for the show.

Oliver Zipse, the Chief Executive Officer of BMW, highlighted in presentations earlier this week the significance of the Chinese market to the automobile manufacturer by claiming that many of its automobiles' characteristics were inspired by China and that the nation was in front of the curve globally in terms of auto trends.

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Chinese consumers have been paying closer attention to how major brands behave in recent years and have become more critical of international or domestic enterprises for perceived slights or for failing to respect Chinese territorial claims.

At times, such criticism has erupted into widespread consumer boycotts. Sales in China for Dolce &amp; Gabbana decreased in 2019 as a result of outrage to an ad campaign that was criticised as racist by celebrities and on social media. The upscale Italian company apologised and claimed there was a "cultural misunderstanding".

(With inputs from agencies)

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Chinese internet users slammed German automaker BMW on Thursday (April 20) for alleged discrimination at the Shanghai auto show after reports emerged that employees at its Mini booth favoured foreign over local Chinese visitors during an ice cream giveaway promotion.

Chinese internet users slammed German automaker BMW on Thursday (April 20) for alleged discrimination at the Shanghai auto show after reports emerged that employees at its Mini booth favoured foreign over local Chinese visitors during an ice cream giveaway promotion. Mini expressed regret over the incident, explaining in a statement on its official Weibo account that it was brought on by subpar internal management and that training would be improved. The incident occurred on Wednesday, local media reported. The term "BMW Mini" rose to the second-most-searched topic on China's Weibo social media site, with users posting images, videos and critical comments that crossed 93 million views. The debate occured even as BMW and other German automakers compete to keep on top of consumer trends in a nation where domestic competitors have been aggressively gaining market share at the Shanghai auto show. ALSO READ | Mysterious flash over Kyiv probably meteorite, says Ukrainian space agency What was the ice cream controversy? In one video, two Chinese employees can be seen telling some locals who came to the Mini stand that the complimentary ice cream had run out, before quickly handing a tub to a foreign attendee. "This has taken away my good feelings towards BMW," said one Weibo user. Reuters reported citing a source with insight into the situation that the event occurred after 300 servings of ice cream intended for guests had been distributed by the booth. The foreigner in the video was a BMW employee. According to the insider, who requested anonymity owing to the sensitivity of the situation, the personnel were not BMW employees but rather temporary workers hired locally for the show. Oliver Zipse, the Chief Executive Officer of BMW, highlighted in presentations earlier this week the significance of the Chinese market to the automobile manufacturer by claiming that many of its automobiles' characteristics were inspired by China and that the nation was in front of the curve globally in terms of auto trends. ALSO READ | What is 'Jamtara' fraud in Indian state of Jharkhand? Cybercrooks con 2,500 more Chinese consumers have been paying closer attention to how major brands behave in recent years and have become more critical of international or domestic enterprises for perceived slights or for failing to respect Chinese territorial claims. At times, such criticism has erupted into widespread consumer boycotts. Sales in China for Dolce & Gabbana decreased in 2019 as a result of outrage to an ad campaign that was criticised as racist by celebrities and on social media. The upscale Italian company apologised and claimed there was a "cultural misunderstanding". (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

No free ice cream for locals! BMW accused of discriminating against Chinese visitors at Shanghai auto show

Elon Musk's Tesla has issued a rare apology after coming under pressure&nbsp;in China on Wednesday from regulators and state media over a viral video of a&nbsp;disgruntled customer at the Shanghai auto show.

The singling-out of&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;in China, which accounts for 30 per cent&nbsp;of the US&nbsp;firm's global sales and where it makes cars at its own factory in Shanghai, comes amid ongoing US-China tensions and as other foreign firms have encountered backlash.

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"China will continue to open up its market to foreign business, but that does not mean foreign companies will be offered any privilege," the Global Times, a tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, said in an opinion piece on the "Tesla&nbsp;blunder".

On Monday, an unhappy customer clambered on top of a&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;at the auto show in protest over the company's handling of her complaints about malfunctioning brakes, triggering a social media storm, with regulators and state media also weighing in.

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Late on Wednesday, China's market regulator urged&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;to ensure product quality in the country, while the official Xinhua news agency said that&nbsp;Tesla's apology was "not sincere".

"The arrogant and overbearing stance the company exhibited in front of the public is repugnant and unacceptable, which could inflict serious damage on its reputation and customer base in the Chinese market," the Global Times write.

Tesla, whose cars are popular in China, declined to comment, but said in a statement it would share data on the brake incident with regulators, after a local regulator demanded it.

In videos that went viral from Monday's car show, a woman wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words "The brakes don't work" shouted similar accusations while staff and security struggled to restore calm.

Tesla&nbsp;on Tuesday apologised to Chinese consumers for not addressing the complaint in a timely way, and said it would launch a review of its service operations in the world's biggest auto market.

However, the Xinhua news agency said&nbsp;Tesla's apology fell short.

"A big company should have the responsibility of being a big company, no company can do whatever it wants," it said in a commentary on Wednesday night.

"If a company does not rectify when it has a problem, if it does not change a problematic senior executive ... it will eventually make mistakes again," it said.

'Arrogance'

On Monday, Grace Tao, a&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;vice-president, told a local media outlet that "there is no possibility&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;will compromise" and said she suspected that there was someone putting the customer up to the protest. The interview prompted accusations of "arrogance" on&nbsp;Tesla's part from state media.

Meanwhile, the Global Times published a story on a deadly accident reportedly involving a&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;that “surfaced online on Wednesday," which it said raises further&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;quality control concerns.

Last month,&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;came under scrutiny in China when the military banned its cars from entering its complexes, citing security concerns over cameras in its vehicles. Earlier this month,&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;said cameras in its cars are not activated outside of North America.

Chinese internet users last month began calling for boycotts of brands including H&amp;M, Adidas, and Nike over past statements saying they do not use cotton from Xinjiang, where some researchers and foreign lawmakers say authorities use coercive labour to meet seasonal needs, which China denies.

(With inputs from agencies)

Elon Musk's Tesla has issued a rare apology after coming under pressure in China on Wednesday from regulators and state media over a viral video of a disgruntled customer at the Shanghai auto show.

Elon Musk's Tesla has issued a rare apology after coming under pressure in China on Wednesday from regulators and state media over a viral video of a disgruntled customer at the Shanghai auto show. The singling-out of Tesla in China, which accounts for 30 per cent of the US firm's global sales and where it makes cars at its own factory in Shanghai, comes amid ongoing US-China tensions and as other foreign firms have encountered backlash. "China will continue to open up its market to foreign business, but that does not mean foreign companies will be offered any privilege," the Global Times, a tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, said in an opinion piece on the "Tesla blunder". On Monday, an unhappy customer clambered on top of a Tesla at the auto show in protest over the company's handling of her complaints about malfunctioning brakes, triggering a social media storm, with regulators and state media also weighing in. Late on Wednesday, China's market regulator urged Tesla to ensure product quality in the country, while the official Xinhua news agency said that Tesla's apology was "not sincere". "The arrogant and overbearing stance the company exhibited in front of the public is repugnant and unacceptable, which could inflict serious damage on its reputation and customer base in the Chinese market," the Global Times write. Tesla, whose cars are popular in China, declined to comment, but said in a statement it would share data on the brake incident with regulators, after a local regulator demanded it. In videos that went viral from Monday's car show, a woman wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words "The brakes don't work" shouted similar accusations while staff and security struggled to restore calm. Tesla on Tuesday apologised to Chinese consumers for not addressing the complaint in a timely way, and said it would launch a review of its service operations in the world's biggest auto market. However, the Xinhua news agency said Tesla's apology fell short. "A big company should have the responsibility of being a big company, no company can do whatever it wants," it said in a commentary on Wednesday night. "If a company does not rectify when it has a problem, if it does not change a problematic senior executive ... it will eventually make mistakes again," it said. 'Arrogance' On Monday, Grace Tao, a Tesla vice-president, told a local media outlet that "there is no possibility Tesla will compromise" and said she suspected that there was someone putting the customer up to the protest. The interview prompted accusations of "arrogance" on Tesla's part from state media. Meanwhile, the Global Times published a story on a deadly accident reportedly involving a Tesla that “surfaced online on Wednesday," which it said raises further Tesla quality control concerns. Last month, Tesla came under scrutiny in China when the military banned its cars from entering its complexes, citing security concerns over cameras in its vehicles. Earlier this month, Tesla said cameras in its cars are not activated outside of North America. Chinese internet users last month began calling for boycotts of brands including H&M, Adidas, and Nike over past statements saying they do not use cotton from Xinjiang, where some researchers and foreign lawmakers say authorities use coercive labour to meet seasonal needs, which China denies. (With inputs from agencies)

Tesla issues rare apology after coming under pressure over disgruntled customer's viral video

At the Shanghai motor show, some of the biggest manufacturers you’ve never heard of displayed their newest models alongside familiar Western brands keen to crack the world’s most lucrative automotive market.

All eyes on Shanghai Auto Show 2019