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Dior Axes Stone In China Over 'Karma' Remark

Christian Dior, the French fashion brand, has dropped ads featuring Sharon Stone from its ad campaign in China in the wake of the actresses' remarks that the earthquakes in Sichuan Province were karmic retribution for Beijing's treatment of Tibet. The luxury goods company was facing the possibility of a boycott.

A spokesman for Dior in Paris says that its office in Shanghai has issued a statement in which it recognizes that the comments had been "hurtful." Stone also apologizes in a statement released by Dior. She says that she will "wholly devote" herself to helping earthquake victims.

The timing was awkward for Dior. With the Beijing Olympic Games a few months away and growth slowing in developed countries, luxury companies have been pouring resources into China. "What comes through in this is the importance of the Chinese market to foreign brands," says Tom Bernardin, the chairman and CEO of Leo Burnett.

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