Frustrated by US Anti-Ballistic Missile System, China Punishes Korean Retailer Lotte · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Political cartoonist @badiucao depicts the Lotte boycott campaign as “New Boxer Rebellion”. Image from @badiucao.
The conflict between China and South Korea over the United States Army's anti-ballistic missile system has escalated in the past week with widespread boycotts of Korean retailer Lotte.
Lotte announced in November that it had agreed to give up a golf course it owns in South Korea for the storage of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery. The anti-ballistic missile system is purportedly meant to deter attacks from North Korea, but Chinese officials fear it could one day be turned on them.
State news agency Xinhua News was the first Chinese media outlet to start calling out Lotte for assisting in the deployment of THAAD, and has continued to publish criticism since mid-February. Its commentary on February 27, for example, read:
如果说部署“薩德”是在中國背后“捅刀子”，那樂天此次不計后果的草率決定，無異於為虎作倀。對於這樣的樂天，中國不歡迎！
The deployment of THAAD is stabbing a dagger in China’s back, Lotte’s irresponsible decision is like assisting a bloodthirsty Tiger [which is threatening to human security]. China will not welcome Lotte.
Echoing Xinhua, China nationalist tabloid Global Times called for a boycott in its Chinese editorial commentary, titled “Slam Lotte and Punish South Korea, China Has No Other Option.” The English version of Global Times reported on netizens’ reaction and highlighted angry comments directed at Lotte, including the followings:
China did not welcome you, please get the hell out of here and go back home
It's a very simple logic…Lotte is making lucrative profit from Chinese consumers yet they are standing against us and supporting the South Korean government. In other words, the group is actually using our money to put us in danger. How can Chinese tolerate that?
It didn't take long for words to become action. Following the call for boycott, Chinese authorities took steps to punish Lotte. Thus far, four Lotte retail stores in China have been closed upon inspection. In addition, several online shopping platforms, including JD.com and Jumei Youpin, have removed Lotte brand products.
The boycott is not confined to the web. Small-scale protests have sprouted across China. Reportedly, a number of Korean brand vehicles were crushed in Shangdong province. And below is video showing a boycott demonstration outside a Lotte retail store in Jilin.
While Chinese social media outlets are flooded with nationalistic comments, beyond the Great Firewall Wu Zuolai, a famous blogger, argued on Twitter that the boycott is meant to cover up China's diplomatic failure to keep North Korea — which launched four ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan just on Monday, March 6 — under control:
政府外交无能，就怂恿老百姓出来闹事给外国人看，这与当年慈禧利用义和团没什么二样，只是现在多了一个叫团中央的机构，闲的蛋疼，发散各种内部通知，要求团员青年反韩反乐天，乐天是韩国企业，当然得服从韩国国家利益，这怎么可能改变呢？抗议乐天，只会使合资乐天受损害，乐天的中国就业者首先受害。
— 吴祚来 (@wuzuolai) March 1, 2017
With the government's failure in diplomacy, it incites people to protest. The intention is similar to the Boxer Rebellion during the Qing Dynasty. Now there is a centralized authority which hand outs internal notices to all government and party branches, asking members of the youth league to participate in anti-Korea and anti-Lotte protests. Lotte is a Korean corporation and it has to serve the country's interest. You can't change its nature. The protest will only do harm to Lotte's Chinese partner.
Twitter user @redfireage also mocked the Xinhua commentary:
为虎作伥 中国不欢迎这样的“乐天”。
是韩国的萨德威胁大，还是三胖的核弹威胁大？朝鲜又是VX化学武器又是核武器，不是更威胁国家安全？脸面被金三打的啪啪的，共产党屁都不敢放一个，只敢对着南韩喷口水还挑动民族仇恨抵制一个南韩企业，真的是个low逼政府。 pic.twitter.com/TTMOBpob33
— Red Fire Age (@redfireage) March 1, 2017
Assisting the tiger. China cannot welcome Lotte. Which is more destructive, South Korea's THAAD or North Korea's nuclear bomb? North Korea has VX nerve agent and nuclear bombs, aren't these more threatening? Kim III keeps slamming China to its face, but the Chinese Communist Party doesn't even dare to fart back but keep cursing South Korea, inciting hatred, boycotting Korean corporations, such a government is so low.
A Radio France Internationale writer collected some of the critical comments found on Chinese social media:
我突然想到了一个逻辑，不知道对不对，大家抵制了这么多天的韩国乐天超市，无非是因为美国在韩国部署了萨德威胁中国的安全，然后大家还想打砸韩国车之类的，那问题来了，源头是美国啊，为什么不一起抵制买苹果手机呢？
Suddenly a logical question pops up. We have boycotted Lotte because the American THAAD system deployed in South Korea has threatened China's national security and this makes us want to crush Korean brand vehicles. The question is, the source of the threat should be the US, so why don't we boycott Apple phones?
这是奇特的社会现象，人们既极度关心政治，又极度不关心政治：一开口就是民族、国家和政府的安危、盛衰和荣辱，但对自己的基本权利、自由和尊严，却从不思 考，对于身边的各种不公和无数无辜、无助的弱者，却漠不关心。身边的小偷不敢抓，老人不敢扶，却一天到晚嚷着要灭日本、打美国…
This is a very strange social phenomenon. People seem to care about politics, while at the same time be extremely indifferent to politics: they keep talking about national, state and government interests, security and honor, but do not think about their individual rights, freedom and dignity. They don't care about the injustice, the poor and the weak surrounding them. They dare not chase after thieves, help old people, but they keep saying they would eliminate Japan and fight the US…
瞎起哄抵制这个那个，瞎起哄去街上砸几台韩国车，其实都是做亲者痛仇者快的事情，敌对分子还没有开始进攻，我们就自乱阵脚，就对自己同胞痛下狠手，你砸的车不是同胞的血汗钱买的吗？
Follow the call and boycott this and that. Follow the call and crush a few Korean vehicles. All these actions only make our enemy happy. The enemy hasn't launched the attack and we are attacking our own people. The vehicles you crushed belong to your people, right?
In reaction to Chinese boycotts, the South Korean government-subsidized media outlet Korea Times published an editorial titled “Grow up, China,” calling China a spoiled kid and urging:
…we Koreans should tough it out and respond to Chinese provocations with a cool head _ finding ways to reduce Lotte's losses, reducing our reliance on China for exports and bringing unity to our political voice, until China sees reason.