Chinese state media blasts local officials for misuse of live-streaming sales intended to help poor farmers
- Some officials sold products at a loss or even made up fake orders that were cancelled after the show, according to Xinhua
- China’s live-streaming market was worth 433.8 billion yuan in 2019 and is expected to double in size this year, according to iiMedia Research
China’s official news agency has criticised local government officials for using live-streamed shopping events as publicity stunts to try and improve their own image, pointing out that the original purpose of the e-commerce initiative was to help small merchants and farmers during the coronavirus pandemic.
Some officials, who jumped on the live-streaming bandwagon to sell local products on behalf of farmers, were even paying viewers to praise their good looks and personalities during their live broadcast sessions, according to a commentary published on one of Xinhua’s WeChat public accounts on Sunday.
Xinhua quoted an anonymous government employee in western China on details about the misuse of live-streamed e-commerce sessions by some local officials, who asked colleagues to join as audience members and set a minimum spending level to boost views and sales.
Some sold products at a loss or even made up fake orders that were cancelled after the show, according to Xinhua.
“Live-streaming e-commerce was meant to be a new way for the government to resume operations and to help eliminate poverty, and ultimately it aims to be a sales channel for local products, especially agricultural products,” Xinhua said in the commentary.
“The self-deceiving flamboyance has deviated from the initial intention and has became the new formalism and bureaucracy.”