China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs has called on provinces to show restraint and common sense over plans to rename businesses that have ‘exotic or strange’ foreign sounding names.
It says some regional governments have been over-zealous in ordering businesses to ditch foreign sounding names.
The issue was brought to light after Chinese hotel giant Jinjiang Group lodged a complaint against the Hainan regional government after it was ordered to rename its Vienna International Hotels brand.
There are 15 Vienna hotels located in the island province.
Jinjiang, which is state owned, said on social media it had filed a formal complaint, adding that Vienna hotels is trademarked and the company has the legal right to use the name.
The idea was ridiculed by many on social media as an unnecessary overreach.
"The country is now culturally confident. China has thousands of years of culture. Is it appropriate to use these foreign names on Chinese territory? Isn’t this hurting the feelings of the nation?" a Hainan government official told local media when the order was first made public.
It said the name ‘glorifies foreign things.’
Jinjiang is the largest hotel operator in China, and has a majority stake in Radisson Hospitality.
The directive was also aimed at other hotels with foreign sounding names including the Victoria Hotel and Heidelberg Hotel.
Other businesses have been ordered to change their names which reference China’s imperial past or simply because they sound ‘incomprehensible’ or ‘strange.’
The ministry of civil affairs says provinces should concentrate on overseeing the naming of new buildings and should adhere to all guidelines set by the ministry.
A directive was apparently issued in 2018 setting out guidelines for local governments to follow.
It said any change of name for an existing business should not heavily impact the livelihoods of ordinary people and should be done in a measured way without adding major costs to established businesses.
