Sanrio, the Japanese company behind Hello Kitty, has apologized and ended a merchandise deal with the Japanese spy drama "Vivant," BBC News, The Guardian and The Japan Times report. It made the move after a backlash in China.

The second season of "Vivant," made by Japan's TBS network, shows Chinese agents torturing a Japanese operative. Chinese state media called the show a "deliberate smear" against China, The Guardian reports. Chinese outlets said the methods look like those Japanese troops used on Chinese people in World War II.

The anger spread to Sanrio. Its characters, including My Melody and Cinnamoroll, appeared in "Vivant" goods. The state-run Global Times said Hello Kitty "should not dance with Japan's right wing," BBC News reports.

The Japan Times reports Sanrio's Shanghai unit posted an apology on Hello Kitty's Weibo account on Wednesday. The company confirmed the decision on Thursday. "We take the feedback we have received regarding this incident very seriously," Sanrio said. It said it would review future deals more closely.

Asked about the case on Thursday, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said it should "serve as a warning to the international community and discerning people in Japan," BBC News reports.

TBS president Masamine Ryuho said on Wednesday that the show is fiction. He said it was not meant to insult any country.

China is a key market for Sanrio. Citing Chinese media, The Guardian reports the company made 781 million yuan, about $117 million, in China in the first half of this year.

Ties between China and Japan are at their lowest in years. They soured last November. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested then that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could lead Japan to send in its forces.

What we know: Sanrio has ended its Vivant merchandise deal and apologized after criticism from Chinese state media.
What we don't: Whether the backlash will hurt Sanrio's sales in China.