It is very unusual for Chinese businesspeople to take public aim at the government and those who have done so have often faced repercussions.
In particular, Pinduoduo’s pricing system has done great harm to China’s brands and its industries,” he was quoted as saying by state-owned media outlet The Paper.
In further remarks from the same press conference that were not widely reported by state media, Zhong singled out the Chinese government for not doing more to stop the trend.
CNN has reached out to Nongfu Springs and PDD (PDD) for comment.
A worker prepares to transfer packages after sorting at a warehouse for an e-commerce company in Beijing on November 11, 2024.
Persons:
Hong Kong CNN —, Zhong Shanshan, Zhong, Pinduoduo, Alibaba, Jack Ma, Ma, Colin Huang, Wang Zhao, Zhong’s, Huang
Organizations:
Hong Kong CNN, PDD Holdings, Sina Technology, CNN, Ant Group, Alibaba, Getty, Bloomberg
Locations:
China, Hong Kong, Beijing, AFP