Beijing — McDonald’s in China provoked snorts of laughter on Thursday, as internet users mocked a ham-fisted new company name that sounds a lot like the Chinese word for a pig eating. Earlier this month, the company quietly changed its official name from a transliteration of McDonald’s to a new moniker meaning Golden Arches — a reference to the business’s famous logo. It was an under-the-radar decision only intended for official use, not for restaurants, the company said in a statement. But the move threatened to turn into something of a PR nightmare after an enterprising internet user uncovered the change in corporate filings. Social media wags quickly pointed out the word — gong — sounds similar to one that describes a pig snorting and digging in the dirt for food, or "rooting" in English. It was an unfortunate association for a restaurant that has long sought to dissociate itself from unhealthy eating habits. By early Thursday afternoon, the hashtag "Golden Arches" had been viewe...
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