BEIJING (Reuters: Starbucks) is currently battling its second bout in China’s public fury. It was triggered by a U.S.-based coffee company that described an “error” in one of its shops. Online users and the state media were critical of Starbucks.

After a Weibo user (NASDAQ:) claimed that many police officers had eaten outside a Starbucks shop in Chongqing, southwest China, before being told to get out by staff to go home on Monday.

Twitter’s user’s description quickly gained popularity. People’s Daily newspaper, the Communist party’s official mouthpiece, issued a commentary in which they called Starbucks “arrogant”.

Chinese customers and media are more vigilant about their rights, and have increased the monitoring of large brands’ behaviours from across China.

Starbucks apologized to the Chinese government and conducted training and inspections at all 5400 of its stores.

Starbucks apologized to Weibo late Monday night for any “inappropriate communication” and said that the whole incident was an error.

However, it stated that the staff has never attempted to make complaints or chase down police officers.

The coffee chain continued to be criticised online, as a handful of small businesses announced via Douyin, the Chinese equivalent for TikTok that they will “boycott Starbucks”, prohibiting their employees from purchasing drinks or organizing meetings at its shops.

Hu Xijin is a well-known Chinese commentator and was the editor-in chief of Global Times. He urged Weibo users not to take the Starbucks Chongqing event as a cause for concern, saying that Starbucks should be treated as a foreign company.

He said that China is an open country. To call a mistake arrogance would be a disservice to the larger environment of open-up.