Hong Kong beverage company Vitasoy is caught in a political storm as it tries to distance itself from an internal memo expressing condolences to the family of an employee who stabbed a police officer in the back and killed himself, after the expression of support triggered a public uproar in mainland China. The company, facing threats of a boycott of its products in a market that accounts for two-thirds of its revenue, first expressed its full backing on Friday night for a police investigation into what authorities have characterised as a “lone wolf-style act of domestic terrorism”. ‘Lone wolf’ assailant dies after stabbing Hong Kong police officer then himself Then it followed up with another statement on Saturday apologising for causing distress in the community and clarifying that the leaked memo in question had been written by a staff member without official approval. “The wording in the file circulating online was extremely inappropriate,” it said. “The memo should not have been made public or distributed internally without official approval. We are investigating the incident and reserve the right to take legal action against the related employee.” But local internet users were quick to accuse Vitasoy of “kneeling down”, swamping its Facebook page with comments. After the memo was leaked, Chinese actors Gong Jun and Ren Jialun cut ties with the company in what could be a big blow, as both are popular idols with the mainland’s young people, a target market for Vitasoy. The controversy erupted after an internal message was sent to employees on Friday morning, saying a 50-year-old purchasing manager, surnamed Leung, had “unfortunately died” in Causeway Bay on Thursday. It did not refer directly to the stabbing. The memo, which was widely circulated online, claimed to represent the company and expressed its deepest condolences to Leung’s family, which, it said, had been contacted by Vitasoy’s human resources department. Vitasoy later posted a statement on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, on Friday evening, saying police had visited its Hong Kong office and the company “fully supported authorities to investigate the incident under the national security law … and the stability, prosperity and development of China and Hong Kong”. Police on high alert after officer stabbing by ‘lone-wolf domestic terrorist’ Leung stabbed a 28-year-old officer from the Police Tactical Unit outside the Sogo department store in Causeway Bay on Thursday evening as the city marked the 24th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on Thursday. He then turned the knife on himself. Leung left behind several suicide notes declaring his hatred of police, his opposition to the Beijing-imposed security law, and his intention to kill an officer on July 1, investigators found. The constable, an eight-year veteran with the force, suffered a 10cm-deep wound, with the knife piercing his lung. He underwent emergency surgery at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam twice and by Saturday morning his condition had improved from critical to stable. As the memo circulated online, tags such as “boycott Vitasoy”, “stay away from Vitasoy” and “Vitasoy get out of mainland China” surfaced on Weibo. Popular mainland forum Di Bar also said “any whitewashing of violence is condoning violence”. Pro-government politicians in Hong Kong suggested Vitasoy was “beautifying violence” by calling the incident “unfortunate”. On Weibo, Gong’s group posted: “We resolutely resist all forms of extreme acts including violence and terrorism.” More than 1.6 million people had liked the comment by Saturday. Ren also said in a statement he firmly opposed remarks and actions that violated laws, undermined national unity and stability, or harmed national interests. Thousands of internet users then flooded Vitasoy’s Facebook page, sparking a war of words between those who called for a boycott and others who praised the internal memo. Some accused Vitasoy of “failing to differentiate wrong from right”, posing questions such as “Is terrorism unfortunate?”, and “Does the company have any social moral responsibility?” Angry users said they would boycott the brand as many other soy milk products were available on the mainland. Others, however, said Vitasoy had made relatively humane comments in showing support for Leung’s family and would back the company by buying its products. According to Vitasoy’s financial results released last month, the mainland accounted for HK$5.01 billion (US$645 million), or 66.7 per cent, of its total revenue in the 2020-21 financial year, up from 62 per cent the previous year. Tian Feilong, an associate professor with Beihang University’s law school in Beijing, said Vitasoy’s statements might not be enough to placate the public on the mainland. It also showed companies they needed better risk management and internal education to survive in the mainland market, he said. “The Vitasoy incident proves to local companies they have to respect Chinese people’s sentiments, and that they will only suffer if they had inappropriate stances,” Tian added. “Those who go against that direction will have no future in China.” City University political scientist Dr Cheung Chor-yung said the incident once again showed how companies could suffer from “mainland consumer blackmail”. It was also obvious Hong Kong-mainland relations had not improved, and the gap had even become wider, he said. “You can see how people praised Vitasoy over its internal memo, and still took the risk and went onto the street to commemorate the assailant, while mainlanders could hardly show sympathy,” he said, referring to those who left flowers at the scene. “The Hong Kong government definitely has to bear some responsibility, as it has done nothing since [the social unrest of] 2019 to smooth the public’s grievances. People are unhappy and frustrated.” The stabbing shattered what had been a day of relative calm in the city on the twin anniversaries of Hong Kong’s handover and the centenary of the Communist Party’s founding. Police were out in force to prevent anti-government protests when Leung attacked the constable without warning from behind, then stabbed himself before he was subdued by other officers at the scene. Hong Kong faces tough questions over threat of domestic terrorism On Saturday, new Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung again condemned the advocacy and glorification of violence and terrorism, after internet users described the assailant as “valiant” and paid tribute to him. “It was chilling to see parents who brought their children to the scene of the crime to mourn the terrorist,” he said, referring to those who placed flowers at East Point Road in Causeway Bay on Friday. “There are people behind the scenes who do not want Hong Kong to return to stability and aim to incite hatred among residents.” Tang said the government would use all relevant laws, including the national security legislation, to crack down on those who advocated terrorist activities online or physically. In a statement on Saturday evening, the chiefs of the five disciplined services other than police strongly condemned the attack. They also expressed disapproval of online comments that glorified the assailant’s “cold-blooded act of violence”, saying they would further encourage terrorist activities. They also pledged to support police to enforce the law against domestic terrorism. A sizeable police presence remained in the area on Saturday, but no flowers were seen. Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu warned on his blog against mourning the attacker and offering flowers as such actions could be seen as advocating sabotage and threatening the city’s security. Anyone promoting or inciting terrorist activities might violate the national security law, he added. The attacker, described as a recluse and introvert, was single and lived with his parents, who apparently did not even know where he worked. No documented history of mental illness has been established.