Translator’s Note: The Chinese-kanguage article states:
‘On the evening of September 4, the Nanjing West Road Police Station of the Jing’an Public Security Bureau received a call from the Alila Shanghai Hotel in the jurisdiction, saying that a male customer, Ling, claimed 4,980 yuan on the grounds that “plastic sheets were found in the mooncakes”. The man claimed that after giving mooncakes to relatives and friends, some children found foreign objects when eating them, causing them to “lose face”, and threatened to make the incident public through the Internet if they did not compensate. The man said in the communication that he asked for a “refund at the price of one cake – times ten” and “if it is not resolved, it will be exposed”.’
Furthermore, the English version of this article incorrectly refers to the convicted individual as being named “Lin” – when in fact it is “Ling (凌)” – but even after this error is corrected, the Chinese-language article states this is a “pseudonym”. So, a Chinese news outlet not only mistranslated its own article into English (as if accuracy does not matter) – but omitted the fact that it is a false name. AVW (28.3.2026)
2026-03-26 Ecns.cn Editor:Mo Honge
(ECNS) – A 19-year-old man in China was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for five years, after planting plastic film in mooncakes and demanding compensation from multiple hotels, authorities said, according to media report.
The defendant, surnamed Ling (凌), targeted high-end hotels in cities including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu and Jinan ahead of last year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, according to prosecutors in Shanghai’s Jing’an district.
After purchasing mooncakes, Ling falsely claimed he had found plastic film inside and demanded compensation at ten times the original price under China’s food safety law, threatening to file complaints or expose the incident if his demands were not met.
Prosecutor Wang Jia said Ling deliberately paid full price for the products, even when discounts were offered, so he could calculate compensation based on the higher amount.
Investigators found Ling used identical scripts, photos and videos across cases. He claimed that a child had choked on the plastic film and required emergency treatment, Wang said. Ling later admitted that he had planted the plastic film himself.
Judge Yang Liu said some businesses chose to settle quickly to avoid reputational risks and higher costs. “For hotels, paying several thousand yuan can resolve the issue more easily,” Yang said.
In March, a court sentenced Ling to three years in prison, suspended for five years, and fined him 30,000 yuan for extortion.
Consumer rights official Tang Jiansheng said such profit-driven claims harm the market environment. “These practices do not help improve food safety but instead undermine a healthy consumer environment.”
(By Zhang Jiahao)
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 