BEIJING: Chinese district authorities in Beijing have fined Japan’s Sony Group Corp. 1 million yuan for running an online advertisement announcing a plan to release new products July 7.

The date falls on the day when the Marco Polo Bridge Incident occurred in 1937, triggering a full-scale war between the two countries. The day of the incident, in which Japanese and Chinese troops clashed in western Beijing, is considered a politically delicate day that may inflame anti-Japanese sentiment in China.

The electronics and entertainment giant released the advertisement on the evening of June 30 but took it down the following day in response to criticism.

The authorities of Beijing’s Chaoyang District have said that the advertisement violated a law provision that advertisements should not harm the dignity or the interests of the state. The punitive measure was put into effect Oct. 12.

JIJI Press