Taiwan bakery chain disappears from major Chinese food apps amid Tsai visit row

A woman enters a store of 85 Degrees Celsius Bakery Cafe in Shanghai, China August 16, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer

SHANGHAI/TAIPEI: Chinese food delivery platforms Meituan-Dianping and Ele.me have taken down listings for Taiwan's 85 Degrees Celsius Bakery Cafe, checks on their apps showed, amid boycott calls from social media users who said the chain supported Taiwan independence.

The move by the Chinese companies comes after 85 Degrees, which has 628 stores in mainland China, was hit by calls for a boycott on Chinese social media after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen was photographed on Sunday visiting one of its Los Angeles stores during her visit to the United States.