Reuters
Published Jul 04, 2021 10:30PM ET
Updated Jul 05, 2021 04:50AM ET
HONG KONG (Reuters) -Shares of Hong Kong beverage maker Vitasoy tumbled 12% on Monday after a worker sent around a memo offering condolences to the family of a colleague who stabbed a Hong Kong policeman, prompting social media users in China to call for a boycott of the company.
Vitasoy said in a statement on social media platform Weibo (NASDAQ:WB) on Saturday that a staff member had circulated an internal memo that was widely shared online, describing it as "extremely inappropriate" and without authorisation. It added that the company reserved the right to take legal action.
The employee's memo offered condolences to the family of a 50-year-old Vitasoy worker who had stabbed a police officer, 28, and then killed himself on Thursday, the anniversary of the former British colony's return to Chinese rule.
Police and security officials have described the stabbing as a terrorist attack by a lone wolf, saying a computer they seized from his home showed he had been "radicalised." Police did not provide further details about his alleged radicalisation.
The officer's condition has improved to serious from critical.
The memo triggered a flood of online calls for a boycott of the company, which gets two-thirds of its revenue from mainland China.
Mainland actors Gong Jun and Ren Jialun, who have worked with Vitasoy, plan to end ties with the company, according to the Global Times tabloid.
Hong Kong authorities warned on Sunday that advocating for people to mourn for the attacker was no different from "supporting terrorism" and criticised parents who took children to mourn him.
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.