2008 Chinese boycott of Carrefour

right vertical 295 2008 Anti-Carrefour Riots in Dalian2.jpg The scene of the boycott at the Dalian Victory Plaza store on 20 April 2008. Carrefour store in Beijing Zhongguancun.JPG The scene of the boycott at the Carrefour Beijing Zhongguancun Plaza store on the afternoon of 1 May 2008. A boycott of Carrefour was initiated by some Chinese netizens in April 2008. The theme was to boycott the French chain Carrefour supermarket, oppose Tibetan independence, and support the Beijing Olympics. However, the wave of public boycott was not affirmed by the Chinese government. In addition to criticizing the irrationality, the state media intervened and the incident was mediated by the government. Carrefour also quickly announced its support for the Beijing Olympics, and sales gradually recovered. The boycott ended during the May Day Golden Week. Background The history of China's boycott of foreign goods is long, dating back to 1905.20 April 2008 中国几大城市和平示威抵制家乐福 Peaceful demonstrations boycott Carrefour in several major Chinese cities https://www.voachinese.com/a/a-21-2008-04-20-voa35-63171062/962251.html 19 April 2026 Voice of America In March 2008, the Tibetan unrest attracted strong attention from European media. Chinese media, officials, and a considerable number of Chinese citizens believed that related reports outside of China were biased towards criticizing China. Soon after, French president Nicolas Sarkozy said he would not rule out boycotting the 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.萨科齐：不排除抵制北京奥运开幕式，東森電子報2008年3月26日 On 16 April 2008, Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë said he would propose to the Council of Paris on 21 April to grant the 14th Dalai Lama the title of honorary citizen.17 April 2008 巴黎市长称将授予达赖“荣誉市民”称号 The mayor of Paris announced that he will award the Dalai Lama the title of "honorary citizen". http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2008-04-17/100215375022.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20200716143436/http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2008-04-17/100215375022.shtml 16 July 2020 19 September 2026 Sina Corporation On 7 April 2008, when the torch of the Beijing Olympic Games was being relayed in Paris, it encountered a large number of protesters. Some protesters tried to snatch the torch, including from Jin Jing, a former disabled athlete from China, who was violently snatched. The French organizers did not protect the torchbearer well.轮椅上的微笑天使”金晶讲述保护火炬经历 https://web.archive.org/web/20080419235123/http://torchrelay.beijing2008.cn/cn/torchbearers/headlines/n214299075.shtml，第29届奥林匹克运动会火炬接力官方网站，2008年4月8日 The torch was extinguished several times during the relay, and the torchbearer was able to complete the relay by taking a bus.8 April 2008 巴黎行連4熄 聖火改搭巴士 Paris trip ends with four Olympic torch relays cancelled, passengers switch to buses http://www.libertytimes.com.tw:80/2008/new/apr/8/today-int4.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20090322164210/http://www.libertytimes.com.tw:80/2008/new/apr/8/today-int4.htm 2009-03-22 2026-09-20 Liberty Times The boycott The Paris torch relay protests angered many Chinese people, who generally believed that France should bear the responsibility for the escalation of the incident. On 10 April 2008, a 26-year-old netizen named "Shuiying" posted a post titled "Boycott French goods, starting with Carrefour" on Mop.com.21 April 2008 薩科齊致信邀金晶訪法 只因不贊成抵制家樂福/金晶被罵“漢奸” Sarkozy invited Jin Jing to visit France simply because she disagreed with boycotting Carrefour; Jin Jing was labeled a "traitor." http://news.sina.com/ch/nanfangdaily/102-000-101-101/2008-04-21/20382834402.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113000/http://news.sina.com/ch/nanfangdaily/102-000-101-101/2008-04-21/20382834402.html 2016-03-04 2026-09-20 Sina Corporation Discussions began on the internet about whether to boycott French goods, with Carrefour becoming the main topic. Some Chinese media reported that LVMH had funded Tibetan independence.家乐福大股东涉嫌资助达赖 网友抵制法国品牌 https://web.archive.org/web/20180929184019/http://finance.sina.com.cn/chanjing/b/20080415/08414749907.shtml，新浪，2008年4月15日 However, the Southern Metropolis Daily pointed out in its report on the anti-boycott activities that the boycotters were only citing netizens' statements, and no major domestic or foreign media had reported on it. The newspaper's reporters also found no reports related to the LV Group and the Dalai Lama when using English and French search engines.15 April 2008 我不赞成抵制家乐福-贺延光-搜狐博客 I do not support boycotting Carrefour. http://heyanguangvip.blog.sohu.com/84698411.html https://web.archive.org/web/20181007205310/http://heyanguangvip.blog.sohu.com/84698411.html 2018-10-07 2026-09-20 Sohu16 April 2008 白岩松反对抵制家乐福 称抵制像一种"内讧" Bai Yansong opposes boycotting Carrefour, calling it a form of "internal strife." http://news.xinhuanet.com:80/newmedia/2008-04/16/content_7985521.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20161021115658/http://news.xinhuanet.com:80/newmedia/2008-04/16/content_7985521.htm 2016-10-21 2026-09-20 Xinhua News Agency网易 16 April 2008 金晶:不赞成抵制法国家乐福 Jin Jing: I do not support boycotting Carrefour France. http://news.163.com/08/0416/14/49LIQSV60001124J.html https://web.archive.org/web/20190614085641/http://news.163.com/08/0416/14/49LIQSV60001124J.html 2019-06-14 2026-09-20 NetEase Some people opposed the boycott, but most netizens chose to support the boycott.17 April 2008 问卷调查显示70%被调查者选择“抵制”家乐福 A survey showed that 70% of respondents chose to boycott Carrefour. http://news.sohu.com/20080417/n256352067.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20181007205308/http://news.sohu.com/20080417/n256352067.shtml 7 October 2018 2026-09-20 Sohu17 April 2008 8成网友赞成抵制家乐福 80% of netizens support boycotting Carrefour. http://finance.sina.com.cn/chanjing/b/20080417/05344760419.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20190802200831/http://finance.sina.com.cn/chanjing/b/20080417/05344760419.shtml 2 August 2019 2026-09-20 Sina Corporation Escalation On 13 April 2008, some media outlets began reporting that Chinese netizens were calling for a boycott of Carrefour. http://cn.ibtimes.com/articles/20080414/wangmin-dizhi-carrefour-dalai.htm%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E7%BD%91%E6%B0%91%E5%91%BC%E5%90%81%E6%8A%B5%E5%88%B6%E4%B8%A4%E5%AE%B6%E4%BA%B2%E8%BE%BE%E8%B5%96%E9%9B%B6%E5%94%AE%E5%95%86 2012-07-07，2008年4月14日 Subsequently, the message calling on the general public to support the boycott spread rapidly through the Internet and mobile phone text messages, attracting attention from the outside world. On 15 April 2008, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said, "Recently, some Chinese people have expressed their own opinions and emotions. These are all for a reason, and the French side should think about and reflect on them carefully. I believe that these Chinese people will express their reasonable demands in accordance with the law."16 April 2008 外交部：中国民众表达意见事出有因 Foreign Ministry: There are reasons for Chinese citizens to express their opinions. http://finance.sina.com.cn/review/20080416/07134755055.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20180929181330/http://finance.sina.com.cn/review/20080416/07134755055.shtml 29 September 2018 2026-09-20 Sina Corporation On 16 April 2008, French ambassador to China Hervé Ladsous said that "The boycott will not have any results. The economic relationship between China and France is growing rapidly, which is beneficial to both sides. This boycott is contrary to common sense."17 April 2008 法国驻华大使：抵制家乐福不正当且没有意义 French Ambassador to China: Boycotting Carrefour is unjust and meaningless http://finance.sina.com.cn/chanjing/b/20080417/10194762366.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20190730092630/http://finance.sina.com.cn/chanjing/b/20080417/10194762366.shtml 30 July 2019 2026-09-20 Sina Corporation On 17 April 2008, photos of the Chinese flag in front of the Carrefour store in Hongshan Square, Wuhan, being lowered to half-mast circulated online, which intensified the boycott.18 April 2008 武汉家乐福调查降半旗事件 Carrefour Wuhan investigates flag-lowering incident http://finance.sina.com.cn/chanjing/b/20080418/07364766959.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20180929183745/http://finance.sina.com.cn/chanjing/b/20080418/07364766959.shtml 29 September 2018 2026-09-20 Sina Corporation On the same day, there were reports that primary school students in Hefei participated in the boycott of Carrefour, writing slogans and shouting slogans on the spot.安徽省合肥市大小学生争着抵制家乐福September 2026 InternetArchiveBot，2008年4月18日，RFA合肥家乐福门前众多小学生集体抵制家乐福 https://web.archive.org/web/20160309163704/http://www.dingtv.com/v/view_video.php?viewkey=6d74f028178c5bb91247（视频） In Kunming, Ma Ruibin and three others advocated against boycotting Carrefour at the entrance of the Carrefour store on Nanping Street, but some onlookers threw mineral water bottles at them, and some people denounced them as "traitors and sellouts".18 April 2008 昆明网友发起全国首例反抵制家乐福行动 Kunming netizens launched the nation's first anti-boycott campaign against Carrefour. http://www1.rfi.fr/actucn/articles/100/article_6988.asp https://web.archive.org/web/20181001074847/http://www1.rfi.fr/actucn/articles/100/article_6988.asp 2018-10-01 2026-09-20 Radio France Internationale 18 April 2008 昆明家乐福：反抵制者遭水瓶袭击 Carrefour Kunming: Anti-boycott protesters attacked with water bottles http://finance.sina.com.cn/g/20080418/07444767078.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20180929183939/http://finance.sina.com.cn/g/20080418/07444767078.shtml 29 September 2018 2026-09-20 Sina Corporation On 18 April 2008, thousands of college students from Hefei came to the Carrefour Changjiang West Road store in the International Shopping Plaza, waving the national flag and singing the national anthem. The store was forced to close early.19 April 2008 合肥家乐福遭市民抗议 长江店被迫提前关门 Carrefour in Hefei Faces Citizen Protests; Changjiang Store Forced to Close Early http://finance.sina.com.cn/chanjing/b/20080419/02444771451.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20180929181601/http://finance.sina.com.cn/chanjing/b/20080419/02444771451.shtml 29 September 2018 2026-09-20 Sina Corporation Although Carrefour's major shareholder, Louis Vuitton, had declared that it "never supports any organization or behavior that is contrary to the interests of the Chinese government and the Chinese people", boycotts and protests continued to spread across the country.18 April 2008 家乐福大股东路易威登发表声明称从未支持“藏独” Carrefour's major shareholder, LVMH, issued a statement saying it has never supported "Tibetan independence." http://www1.rfi.fr/actucn/articles/100/article_7004.asp https://web.archive.org/web/20191017024717/http://www1.rfi.fr/actucn/articles/100/article_7004.asp 2019-10-17 2026-09-20 Radio France Internationale In the following two days, Carrefour stores in Beijing, Wuhan, Qingdao, Hefei, Harbin, Xi'an, Jinan, Tianjin and other places encountered demonstrations, with some demonstrators shouting "Down with traitors" at the store employees.2008-04-19 北京武汉等地民众举行反法示威 People in Beijing, Wuhan and other places held anti-French demonstrations http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7350000/newsid_7355900/7355935.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20181003035012/http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7350000/newsid_7355900/7355935.stm 3 October 2018 2026-09-20 BBC News en-GB19 April 2008 法中关系面临考验北京武汉青岛合肥四城市出现反法示威 Franco-Chinese relations face challenges as anti-French demonstrations erupt in four cities: Beijing, Wuhan, Qingdao, and Hefei. http://www1.rfi.fr/actucn/articles/100/article_7006.asp https://web.archive.org/web/20181001113951/http://www1.rfi.fr/actucn/articles/100/article_7006.asp 2018-10-01 2026-09-20 Radio France Internationale cn2008-04-20 中国民众反法国示威持续扩散 Anti-French demonstrations by Chinese citizens continue to spread. http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7350000/newsid_7357000/7357098.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20201202015354/http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7350000/newsid_7357000/7357098.stm 2 December 2020 2026-09-20 BBC News en-GB Chinese government intervention Shortly after the boycott broke out, the Chinese government called on the public through Xinhua News Agency to calm down and turn their anger into strength to invest in the country's economic development. Xinhua News Agency and People's Daily successively published commentary articles entitled "Patriotic Enthusiasm Must Be Put into the Track of Rationality", "Turning Patriotic Feelings into the Will to Serve the Country", and "How Can Patriotism Be More Powerful?"2008-04-18 中国设法冷却民间“爱国热情” China is trying to cool down public patriotic enthusiasm. http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7350000/newsid_7355400/7355487.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20181003035100/http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7350000/newsid_7355400/7355487.stm 3 October 2018 2026-09-19 BBC News en-GB2008-04-20 中国民众反法国示威持续扩散 Anti-French demonstrations by Chinese citizens continue to spread. http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7350000/newsid_7357000/7357098.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20201202015354/http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7350000/newsid_7357000/7357098.stm 2 December 2020 2026-09-20 BBC News en-GB21 April 2008 反法降溫 胡錦濤嚴禁學生參與 Anti-French sentiment cools down; Hu Jintao strictly forbids students from participating. http://news.chinatimes.com:80/2007Cti/2007Cti-News/2007Cti-News-Content/0,4521,110505+112008042100036,00.html https://web.archive.org/web/20080425055937/http://news.chinatimes.com:80/2007Cti/2007Cti-News/2007Cti-News-Content/0,4521,110505+112008042100036,00.html 2008-04-25 2026-09-19 China Times China Times reported that, fearing that nationalist sentiment would become uncontrollable, Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, and Zhou Yongkang, Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Comission, had ordered a ban on students participating in demonstrations. On 22 April 2008, the Chinese government finally intervened in the incident, praising Carrefour's business practices in China and expressing gratitude for its support of the Beijing Olympics. This was the first time the Chinese government had directly commented on the matter.23 April 2008 中国政府出面赞扬家乐福 The Chinese government praised Carrefour. http://cn.reuters.com/article/idCNChina-1029720080422 https://web.archive.org/web/20190822000012/http://cn.reuters.com/article/idCNChina-1029720080422 22 August 2019 19 September 2026 Reuters On 26 April 2008, the term "Carrefour" was temporarily blocked by search service providers in mainland China such as Baidu, Google China, and Yahoo China. After the incident, the keyword "Carrefour" returned to these search engines in China.4 May 2008 “家乐福”关键字回归国内搜索引擎 The keyword "Carrefour" has returned to domestic search engines. http://2008.163.com/08/0504/19/4B4E3FLC00742LB9.html https://web.archive.org/web/20080508201011/http://2008.163.com/08/0504/19/4B4E3FLC00742LB9.html 8 May 2008 19 September 2026 NetEase Reports indicate that no further large-scale demonstrations against Carrefour occurred from 21 April 2008 until the Labor Day holiday.2008-04-21 萨尔科齐致信中国火炬手金晶 Sarkozy sends a letter to Chinese torchbearer Jin Jing http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7350000/newsid_7358200/7358246.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20181003040446/http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7350000/newsid_7358200/7358246.stm 3 October 2018 2026-09-19 BBC News en-GB May Day holiday As some netizens on the Internet called for a large-scale boycott and demonstration on 1 May, International Workers' Day, the situation during the May Day period was particularly noteworthy. Before May Day, some QQ groups that organized May Day protests issued notices saying that the protests were delayed or even canceled; in addition, sources from various parties pointed out that the Chinese government issued a notice requiring strict management of students during the May Day period, and many universities canceled the May Day holiday to prevent students from participating in the protests.2008-05-01 五一抵制家乐福有人被捕 规模缩水当局降温奏效 The May Day boycott of Carrefour resulted in arrests, reduced scale, and authorities' efforts to quell the unrest have proven effective. https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/51-05012008173128.html https://web.archive.org/web/20201202015354/http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/51-05012008173128.html 2 December 2020 2026-09-19 Radio Free Asia zh-CN In fact, on 1 May, protests only took place in front of some Carrefour stores in a few cities, including Changsha, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Shenyang, Chongqing and Beijing, with only a few hundred people participating.2008-05-03 中国加强网络封锁并给“抵制家乐福”等抗议活动降温 China tightens internet censorship and cools down protests such as the "boycott Carrefour" movement. https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/jia-05032008003020.html https://web.archive.org/web/20201202015358/http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/jia-05032008003020.html 2 December 2020 2026-09-20 Radio Free Asia zh-CN At the Carrefour supermarket in Beijing closest to the university district, a large number of uniformed or plainclothes police officers prevented most of the demonstrators from participating; in the morning, the police also detained some demonstrators whose T-shirts were printed with slogans condemning Tibetan independence and Western media, and made them take off their T-shirts. The business of these Carrefour stores was affected to some extent. A Carrefour employee in Changsha told Agence France-Presse that there were very few customers in the store that day; while a Carrefour employee in Beijing said that business was slightly less than expected for the holiday, but still busier than usual.中国阻止针对家乐福抗议活动September 2026 InternetArchiveBot 英國金融時報 2008-05-04 According to Hong Kong electronic media reports, seven men and two women were detained by the police during the demonstrations in Beijing.2008-05-01 中国家乐福“五一”又遭抗议 Carrefour China faces protests again on May Day. http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7370000/newsid_7377300/7377314.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20181003040508/http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7370000/newsid_7377300/7377314.stm 3 October 2018 2026-09-20 BBC News en-GB1 May 2008 五一家乐福继续没有福 Carrefour continues to have no good fortune during the May Day holiday. https://www.dw.com/zh/%E4%BA%94%E4%B8%80%E5%AE%B6%E4%B9%90%E7%A6%8F%E7%BB%A7%E7%BB%AD%E6%B2%A1%E6%9C%89%E7%A6%8F/a-3304912 https://web.archive.org/web/20080705084058/http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3304912,00.html 5 July 2008 2026-09-20 Deutsche Welle zh6 May 2008 仅遭小示威抵制 家乐福顺利挺过"五一" Carrefour weathered the May Day holiday despite only minor protests and boycotts. http://www.chinapressusa.com/newscenter/2008-05/01/content_102198.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20080506110736/http://www.chinapressusa.com/newscenter/2008-05/01/content_102198.htm 6 May 2008 19 September 2026 The China Press Some analysts believe that although there were demonstrations against Carrefour during the May Day holiday, the scale was smaller, indicating that the government's cooling measures were effective. Reactions France After the incident, France attempted to ease tensions and repair China–France relations. In addition to the original plan for the visit of the president of the French Senate Christian Poncelet, the French president Nicolas Sarkozy also sent former prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and two special envoys to China to handle the incident. During his visit to China, President Poncelet also gave Jin Jing a letter of condolences from President Sarkozy. In addition, French presidential advisors and other officials also arrived in China. At the same time, the Council of Paris voted on the 21 May 2008 to grant the 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, the title of honorary citizen. Hu Jia, a domestic human rights activist, was also granted the title at the same time.星島日報：法國總統遣特使赴中國斡旋 http://chinanews.sina.com/news/2008/0421/06202650852.html https://web.archive.org/web/20081006112831/http://chinanews.sina.com/news/2008/0421/06202650852.html 2008-10-06 2008-04-22 21 April 2008 Sina Corporation The French president sent a special envoy to China to mediate; reports indicate that Hu Jintao ordered a ban on student demonstrations. Agence France-Presse commented that this move would undoubtedly further strain Sino–French relations.16 May 2008 巴黎市议会通过授予达赖“荣誉市民”的决议 The Paris City Council passed a resolution granting the Dalai Lama "honorary citizenship". http://www.yn.xinhuanet.com/sms/2008-04/23/content_13058767.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20080516013405/http://www.yn.xinhuanet.com/sms/2008-04/23/content_13058767.htm 16 May 2008 19 September 2026 Xinhua News Agency Hong Kong Hong Kong media outlets have extensively reported on the boycott wave in mainland China, and their views on such demonstrations in mainland China vary. Some media outlets are concerned about the rampant nationalism, but they also analyze that the chances of the wave expanding are not high. Some people also believe that the anti-French demonstrations were tacitly approved and manipulated by the Chinese government, and that the demonstrations were a card played by the Chinese government. The authorities' cooling measures are out of concern that if the demonstrations continue or expand, they will be involved in domestic issues.21 April 2008 香港媒体报道抵制家乐福事件 Hong Kong media reports on the boycott of Carrefour http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/Carrfour_boycott-04212008165550.html https://web.archive.org/web/20190612222014/http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/Carrfour_boycott-04212008165550.html 12 June 2019 19 September 2026 Radio Free Asia Taiwan In Taiwan, neither the ruling nor opposition parties made any major comments on the incident, and dozens of Carrefour branches across Taiwan operated normally; there were also no activities from any sector of Taiwanese society to respond to this incident in mainland China.Zheng Xiaolan 18 April 2008 民族主義高漲 中國政府拖著人民玩火 Rising nationalism is causing the Chinese government to drag its people into playing with fire. http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2008/new/apr/18/today-int1-2.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20080421012415/http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2008/new/apr/18/today-int1-2.htm 21 April 2008 19 September 2026 Liberty Times The Liberty Times and the United Daily News expressed their doubts or disagreement with the rise of Chinese nationalism in articles such as "Nationalism is on the rise and the Chinese government is dragging its people into playing with fire", "The CCP’s manipulation of nationalism will cause a major blow to China’s economy" and "Beware of the spread of Chinese nationalism".23 April 2008 中共操控民族主義將對中國經濟造成重創 The CCP's manipulation of nationalism will severely damage the Chinese economy. http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2008/new/apr/23/today-s1.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20080426233244/http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2008/new/apr/23/today-s1.htm 26 April 2008 19 September 2026 Liberty Times See also 2021 Xinjiang cotton boycott References Category:2008 in China Category:Anti-French sentiment Category:Anti-Western sentiment in China Category:China–France relations Category:Consumer boycotts Category:Carrefour