Basketball Player Dwight Howard Apologizes to China for Referring to Taiwan as a Country

Dwight Howard (39) of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts following a foul call during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 17, 2021. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Basketball player Dwight Howard recently stepped into the middle of an international foreign policy controversy by referring to Taiwan as a “country,” drawing criticism from neighboring communist China.

Howard starred in a commercial for Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, promoting Taiwan’s tourism industry. In the commercial, which was released Thursday, the basketball player said, “I’m Dwight Howard and since I came to Taiwan I’ve gained a whole new appreciation of this country.”