Beijing/New Delhi: Chinese government said it had asked its companies to respect Indian laws and customs, as smartphone manufacturer Oppo came under fire over reports that a Chinese employee in its Noida office had allegedly disrespected the Indian flag.
China government also said it wanted India to protect the rights of its nationals and its firms, as the case is investigated.
“We have seen the report. As far as we know, the company is in touch with the local police. We hope this issue can be resolved properly,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said.
“The Chinese government always asks its Chinese enterprises and staff overseas to abide by local laws and regulations and to respect local practices and customs,” Lu said.
“We also hope the legitimate rights of the Chinese enterprises and staff will be strictly safeguarded under regulations of law.”
Oppo, a Guangdong based tech firm, has emerged as a major smartphone presence in India along with other Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, Vivo and Huawei, that are now in the top five in the smartphone market.
Reports said a case has been registered against the Chinese national, a production manager, who allegedly placed the Indian tricolour in a dustbin.
The company couldn’t be reached for comment. Authorities have said CCTV footage from the premises would be studied to ascertain facts of the case.