Sanrio ends ‘Vivant’ collaboration after protest by China’s state media

Sanrio confirmed Thursday that it is ending a merchandise collaboration with Japanese spy drama “Vivant” after Chinese state media accused the hit television series of vilifying China. A day earlier, Sanrio (Shanghai) International Trade, a subsidiary of the Japanese company behind the popular Hello Kitty and My Melody characters, issued an apology on Hello Kitty’s official Weibo account.