Mercedes Sorry For Quoting Religious Figure

(RTTNews) - German auto giant Daimler-owned Mercedes-Benz issued an apology after its social media ad that quoted Dalai Lama created an uproar in China.

Luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz posted an image on Instagram on Monday of a white coupe parked on the beach. "Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open," the quote on the picture read. The quote was attributed to the Dalai Lama.

However, the Instagram created a huge uproar among Chinese citizens, with several of them even pledging to boycott Mercedes brand. Meanwhile, Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, is blocked in China.

Dalai Lama, a spiritual leader of Buddhists, is popular for his teachings on peace and compassion, as well as for supporting an autonomous Tibet. However, in China, Dalai Lama is considered a political agitator by the government due to his efforts to restore Tibetan autonomy. Dalai Lama currently lives in India as refugee.

Mercedes-Benz deleted the Instagram post and published an apology on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging site.

"This morning, we released a very incorrect message on international social media," the company said. "In light of this, we will immediately take measures to deepen our understanding of Chinese culture and values, including our overseas colleagues, to ensure this won't happen again."