The American manufacturer of the Snickers candy bar, Mars Wrigley, apologized to communist China Friday, after promotional materials involving a world-renowned boy band recognized Taiwan as its own country.

Mars Wrigley had a promotional tie-in with the South Korean boy band, BTS, in a video that was shared on social media.

The video — which was meant only for audiences outside of China — included the use of the flag of Taiwan. 

A group of national influencers then shared the Taiwan-friendly Snickers ad on Weibo, a popular Chinese social media site, prompting thousands of Chinese internet users to slam the TV spot "for describing Taiwan as a country, and some threatened to boycott the brand," according to The Wall Street Journal.

Beijing views self-ruled Taiwan as part of China's territory. 

According to The Chronicle, an Australia-based publication, Taiwan's 23 million residents "have long lived with the possibility of an invasion, but the threat has intensified under Chinese President Xi Jinping."

Tensions can run high between China and Taiwan. In one example from 2021, China reportedly flew 129 warplanes over Taiwan for three straight days in October.

This week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., visited Taiwan soil, which elicited retaliatory actions from China.

Neither White House nor Pentagon officials took a definitive public stance on Pelosi's stop in Taiwan. The U.S. diplomatically recognizes China as a superpower, but also backs Taiwan's democratic system of government.

Mars Wrigley, which is headquartered in Chicago, apologized for the incident.

Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times tweeted that Mars Wrigley "apologized for marking Taiwan island as a country, saying its local team has verified and aligned the official site and social media accounts to ensure accurate content."

Also, "Snickers owner Mars Wrigley said it respects China's [national] sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Global Times tweeted.

Also Mars Wrigley asked its marketing team in Asia to adjust the language and visual presentation of the Snickers ad.

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