Staff from Shanghai's National Business Daily, including a deputy editor, were attacked by four employees from the maker of the popular Bawang shampoo, endorsed by celebrities Jackie Chan and Faye Wong, after the newspaper published several investigative reports that raised questions about its products.
Hong Kong-listed Bawang International (Group) Holdings confirmed that the four men were company employees. The newspaper said none of its reporters or editors were injured.
The National Business Daily said a manager from Bawang's Shanghai company took three men to the newspaper's Shanghai bureau yesterday afternoon and tried to attack reporters who wrote the stories.
'Four men claiming to be staff from the Bawang group burst into the National Business Daily's Shanghai office on July 30 without authorisation, and looked for the reporter who wrote a story about the company's shampoo containing carcinogens,' the newspaper said on its website.
'They threatened our reporters verbally, attacked and pushed and shoved them. The newspaper reported the matter to the police after failing to stop the four men from harassing the reporters. They were taken away by police for investigation.'
Four pictures taken at the scene by the newspaper showed two angry young men shouting outside the newspaper's office and pointing their fingers at reporters.
Deputy editor Feng Ming said the four men warned the newspaper to stop publishing negative reports about Bawang shampoo, saying that previous stories had led to a slump in sales.