As the nation struggles with an economic downturn, China’s richest man has taken aim at internet retailers, accusing them of inciting pricing wars that have hurt numerous businesses and sectors.
Zhong Shanshan, the creator of the beverages company Nongfu Springs, also attacked the Chinese government in incredibly uncommon comments that have been heavily suppressed by official media, calling it “negligent” for not stopping the trend of ruthless pricing.
Chinese businesspeople rarely criticize the government in public, and those who have frequently faced consequences.
During a visit to a county in eastern China on Tuesday, Zhong was widely cited as slamming the well-known e-commerce site Pinduoduo.
