German car firm apologizes over ad

China hopes foreign enterprises will uphold basic principles while sharing the opportunities of China's development, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday.

Geng made the remark at a daily news briefing after German auto brand Mercedes-Benz posted an Instagram advertisement quoting the Dalai Lama on Monday and then apologized on Tuesday.

It is a basic principle to correct mistakes as soon as you know it either in China or other countries, he said.