Editing Coca-Cola (section)

==Use as political and corporate symbol==
[[File:Space Shuttle Coca-Cola dispenser, Atlanta, Georgia (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Astronauts served Coca-Cola from this device on the [[STS-63|Space Shuttle]] in 1995.]]

Coca-Cola has a high degree of identification with the United States, being considered by some an "American Brand" or as an item representing America, criticized as [[Cocacolonization]]. [[Aftermath of World War II|After World War II]], this gave rise to the brief production of [[White Coke]] at the request of and for [[Soviet Marshal]] [[Georgy Zhukov]], who did not want to be seen drinking a symbol of [[American imperialism]]. The bottles were given by the President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] during a conference, and Marshal Zhukov enjoyed the drink. The bottles were disguised as [[vodka]] bottles, with the cap having a red star design, to avoid suspicion of Soviet officials.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/15/business/viewpoints-a-brief-history-of-coca-colonization.html|title=Viewpoints; A Brief History of Coca-Colonization|author=Mark Pendergrast|date=August 15, 1993|access-date=September 12, 2012|page=256|author-link=Mark Pendergrast|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120082810/http://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/15/business/viewpoints-a-brief-history-of-coca-colonization.html|archive-date=November 20, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

Coca-Cola was introduced to China in 1927, and was very popular until 1949. After the [[Chinese Civil War]] ended in 1949, the beverage was no longer imported into China, as it was perceived to be a symbol of decadent [[Western culture]] and [[capitalism|capitalist]] lifestyle. Importation and sales of the beverage resumed in 1979, after diplomatic relations between the United States and China were restored.<ref name=weibo>{{cite web|last=Koetse|first=Manya|title=Coca Cola in China|work=Marketing|publisher=whatsonweibo.com|location=Netherlands|date=September 24, 2015|url=http://www.whatsonweibo.com/coca-cola-in-china/|access-date=May 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617165423/http://www.whatsonweibo.com/coca-cola-in-china/|archive-date=June 17, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The agreement to allow Coca-Cola into the Chinese market was reached during [[Visit by Deng Xiaoping to the United States|Deng Xiaoping's visit to the United States]].<ref name=":04">{{Cite book |last=Crean |first=Jeffrey |title=The Fear of Chinese Power: an International History |date=2024 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Academic]] |isbn=978-1-350-23394-2 |edition= |series=New Approaches to International History series |location=London, UK}}</ref>{{Rp|page=137}}

There are some consumer boycotts of Coca-Cola in [[Arab world|Arab countries]] due to Coke's early investment in Israel during the [[Arab League boycott of Israel]] (its competitor Pepsi stayed out of Israel).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-coca-cola.html |title=Boycott Israel Campaign page on Coca-Cola |access-date=August 3, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070907035921/http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-coca-cola.html |archive-date=September 7, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Mecca-Cola]] and Pepsi are popular alternatives in the Middle East.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/31/international/europe/31FRAN.html |title=They Choke on Coke, But Savor Mecca-Cola |last1=Tagliabue |first1=John |date=December 31, 2002 |via=NYTimes.com |work=The New York Times|access-date=July 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616072000/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/31/international/europe/31FRAN.html |archive-date=June 16, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

A Coca-Cola fountain dispenser (officially a Fluids Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus or FGBA) was developed for use on the [[Space Shuttle]] as a test bed to determine if carbonated beverages can be produced from separately stored carbon dioxide, water, and flavored syrups and determine if the resulting fluids can be made available for consumption without bubble nucleation and resulting foam formation. FGBA-1 flew on [[STS-63]] in 1995 and dispensed pre-mixed beverages, followed by FGBA-2 on [[STS-77]] the next year. The latter mixed CO₂, water, and syrup to make beverages. It supplied 1.65&nbsp;liters each of Coca-Cola and Diet Coke.<ref name="CokeInSpace">{{Cite web |url=http://www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum14/HTML/000692.html |title=Coke machines on-board the space shuttle |last=Pearlman |first=Robert |website=CollectSpace |access-date=June 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022055341/http://www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum14/HTML/000692.html |archive-date=October 22, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/shuttle_pk/pk/Flight_077_STS-077_Press_Kit.pdf|title=Space Shuttle Mission STS-77|last=Orloff|first=Richard W.|date=January 2001|publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|orig-year=Press Kit May 1996|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030327212757/http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/shuttle_pk/pk/Flight_077_STS-077_Press_Kit.pdf|archive-date=March 27, 2003|access-date=June 13, 2009}}</ref>

The drink is also often a [[metonymy|metonym]] for the Coca-Cola Company.