“At the moment Volkswagen has no plans to change its deal. China is increasingly opening up to the West and this should be encouraged.”

Citing Charter 5 of the sporting event, introduced after Nazi propaganda at the Games before World War II, the spokesman for the German manufacturer stressed his belief that politics and the Olympics have to be kept separate.

In stark contrast, a spokesman for Samsung, the largest conglomerate in South Korea, and top sponsor of the Olympics paying considerably more than Volkswagen, told mad.co.uk that “everyone has the right to protest and express their opinions” during the Olympic Torch Relay.

Samsung has recently hired its own communication management team to specifically handle the unfolding situation while continuing to run an advertising campaign in the UK promoting its position as partner of the Relay with the strapline “Support the torch and help unite the world”.

Samsung has told its volunteers and runners “not to engage” with protesters ahead of the event coming to the UK on 6 April, and added: “We signed-up to be sponsors of this year’s Olympics well before we even knew it would be held in China. We do not want to get embroiled in anything political.”

The comments follow disruption at the torch-lighting ceremony in Greece on 25 March with protests over China’s censorship and poor human rights record.

Yesterday (27 March), Tibetan monks burst into a temple where an international news conference was taking place and accused authorities of covering-up sustained abuse in Tibet and of imprisoning dissenters.

The situation has been exacerbated by news coverage being censored within the Asian country, resulting in television black-outs and websites being blocked. China’s own media has started to criticise what it believes to be propaganda from the West.

Coca-Cola, the longest continuous sponsor of the Olympics, has also expressed "deep concerns" about the situation unfolding in Tibet, despite having supported every Games, wheverever they've been held, for the past 80 years.

A spokesman told mad.co.uk: “The Coca-Cola Company joins others in expressing deep concern for the situation on the ground in Tibet. We know that all parties involved hope for a peaceful resolution."

Despite this, Coca-Cola China says current plans for consumer marketing campaigns themed on the Games are scheduled to go ahead in China and other markets as planned. 

Also sponsoring the event, Johnson & Johnson said its commitment to the Games, as well to improving the health of the people of China, has not changed, but does hope for "a quick and peaceful end to the current situation in Tibet". Fellow sponsor McDonald’s has highlighted its support for the athletes and called on the political issues to be resolved by “governments and international bodies such as the United Nations”.

Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee has asked the Chinese authorities to promise not to interrupt television coverage of the games and broadcasters called upon the European Broadcasting Union to obtain guarantees transmissions will be live and uninterrupted.

In a statement, media group Reporters Without Borders said: “This is not about spoiling the party or taking the Olympic Games hostage. It is China that has taken the games and the Olympic spirit hostage, with the IOC’s complicity.

“The world sports movement must now speak out and call for the Chinese people to be allowed to enjoy the freedoms it has been demanding for years.”

To read Arif Durrani 's blog on this story or to have your say, go to madcomments.co.uk