Firms fined over fake advertising

The Shanghai outlet of pharmacy chain China Nepstar and the Shanghai Fuda Hospital have been fined for fake advertising, the city's market watchdog said on Thursday.

Shanghai Nepstar drugstore was fined 700,000 yuan (US$102,911) by the Xuhui District Market Supervision and Management Bureau.

It paid Tianjin Tongyi Science and Technology Development Co Ltd to make an online ad promoting a prescription drug.

In the broadcast, doctors, TV hosts and popular Internet anchors praised the prescription drug and discussed topics such as how to tease men and tempt them with uniforms, according to the bureau.

The bureau, which did not name the drug, ruled the ad breached anti-pornography laws and rules that say prescription drugs can only be advertised in designated publications by health and drug authorities.

The Tianjin-based broadcasting company was also fined 700,000 yuan by the bureau. It was ordered to stop broadcasting the ad immediately.

In a separate case, the Shanghai Fuda Hospital was fined 730,000 yuan for referring to famous hospital names like EYE & ENT Hospital of Fudan University and Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University as its wording for promotions, but without actually being involved with the hospitals.

The Fuda hospital was fined in February by the Shanghai Market Supervision and Management Bureau.

In addition, Pentair Trade Shanghai Co Ltd was fined 600,000 yuan for using the wrong Chinese map to promote its retail spots on its website. The map incorrectly defined China's borders.

And the Hong Kong-style chain restaurant Chalisi has been fined by the market watchdog in Huangpu District. Its menu claimed that bamboo charcoal powder was mixed into dough of its creamy custard bun, a classic Cantonese dim-sum dish, which was also sprinkled with edible gold powder, according to the Huangpu District Market Supervision and Management Bureau.

But it contained neither bamboo charcoal powder nor gold powder.

The restaurant was fined 4,800 yuan .