The video was quickly removed from MG’s official social media pages as well as from the pages of associated dealerships. However, the damage was done, and the omission was seen as a violation of Vietnam's territorial integrity.

In response to the outcry, MG Vietnam issued a formal apology on August 30, acknowledging the severity of the mistake.

The company explained that the error occurred due to a lack of oversight when working with their video production partner.

MG Vietnam expressed deep regret for the incident and committed to ensuring that such oversights would not happen again in the future.

This incident is not isolated. Just a few months ago, in May, Chinese electric scooter manufacturer Yadea was also criticized for a map error that misrepresented Vietnam's sovereign territories, specifically the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa Islands. Yadea later issued an apology to its Vietnamese customers.

In 2019, Volkswagen Vietnam faced a similar controversy when it displayed a Touareg SUV imported from China at the Vietnam Motor Show. The vehicle's navigation system included a map featuring the controversial "nine-dash line," a demarcation used by China to assert claims over much of the East Sea, which Vietnam contests. Volkswagen later apologized, attributing the mistake to insufficient vetting before the exhibition.

Additionally, several Chinese car brands, including Zotye and BAIC, have previously sparked controversy by integrating maps violating Vietnam's sovereignty into their vehicles' onboard systems.

MG, originally a British car brand, was acquired by China's SAIC Motor Corporation. After an unsuccessful entry into the Vietnamese market in 2012, MG relaunched in 2020, focusing on affordable, mass-market vehicles.

Despite this renewed effort, the brand now faces significant challenges in maintaining its reputation in Vietnam following this latest incident.

Dinh Quy