High fines set for false online ads

As China's online shopping festival, which falls on Nov 11 each year, is coming, a newly revised law approved on Saturday makes provisions for serious punishment to those who help online vendors make false advertisements.

The new amendment to the Anti-unfair Competition Law, passed at the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, stipulates that online shoppers or people who help online shoppers delete unsound comments about products written by buyers or make fictitious transactions will face a fine ranging between 200,000 yuan ($30,138) and 1 million yuan.

Fines in serious situations could be up to 2 million yuan and violators' business licenses will be revoked, the law said.

"As several kinds of online shopping festivals make the market prosperous, some taking advantage of fake advertisements or false transactions to lure customers also arouse our attention," said Yang Hongcan, director of the China Anti-monopoly and Anti-unfair Competition Enforcement Bureau with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, during a the NPC Standing Committee press conference.

"The improper purchases urged us to improve supervision, and we talked to some major departments relating to the festivals not to cheat customers and break the law every year," he said.

The revised law further clarifies the responsibilities and punishments for such violators, "which will contribute to keeping the market in order and is an effective way to protect the rights of customers," he added.

In addition to the revised Anti-unfair Competition Law, the country's first law on public libraries also was passed on Saturday. The law asks governments at county level or above to establish public libraries to provide reading space for residents and improve cultural developments.