The government of a remote province in western China says it is investigating Coca-Cola over allegations that it illegally mapped parts of the province, as China and the US engage in an escalating war of words over cyber espionage.
The Yunnan Geographical Information Bureau of Surveying and Mapping said the US drinks company had been “illegally collecting classified information with handheld GPS equipment”, according to a Yunnan government website.
Coca-Cola said it had “co-operated fully” with the inquiry, adding that local bottling plants use “e-map and location-based customer logistics systems that are commercially available in China” to improve customer service and fuel efficiency.