The municipal government of the eastern city of Shanghai
established a new cross-department initiative on June 29 to crack
down on misleading claims in advertising.
Fang Huiping, the local industry and commerce administration
director, said it was an unprecedented move for the city.
The work will focus on health foods, medicines, medical
treatments, cosmetics, beauty treatments, real estate and the
Internet.
Departments involved include industry and commerce, public
security, supervision, public health, culture, press and
publication, and radio, film and television.
The move will pay particular attention to false advertising in
the form of news releases and exaggerated claims for health foods,
medicines and real estate.
The responsibility of leading officials in media running
misleading ads will also be examined.
According to the local government, the city's advertising sector
involved 6,628 firms by the end of 2004 with a trade volume topping
29.3 billion yuan (US$3.5 billion), around a quarter of the
country's total, and employed over 60,000 people.
(Xinhua News Agency July 1, 2005)