Chinese influencer Crazy Xiaoyangge prompts mooncake probe with ‘made in Hong Kong’ claim

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A local regulator in Anhui province is investigating the top-earning live-streamer for misleading consumers in a Mid-Autumn Festival sale

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Mooncakes, a treat associated with Mid-Autumn Festival, typically have salted egg yolk and lotus seed paste inside. Photo: Shutterstock

Yulu Ao

Published: 6:30pm, 17 Sep 2024Updated: 12:33pm, 18 Sep 2024

As people gather to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival on Tuesday, top-earning Chinese influencer Crazy Xiaoyangge finds himself facing an investigation into allegations that his company sold mooncakes it falsely claimed were from Hong Kong.

Three Sheep Group, a company founded by the influencer, whose real name is Zhang Qingyang, is being investigated for allegedly “misleading consumers” via a live-streaming promotion, according to a statement issued by a local regulator in Hefei, capital of eastern Anhui province, where the company is based.

The case will be handled in accordance with the law based on the investigation results, the statement said.

“Any illegal business activities found in the live-streaming sales will be penalised according to the law,” the regulator added.

Zhang Qingyang, known as Crazy Xiaoyangge, presents mooncakes during a live-streaming sale. Photo: Weibo/新浪热点

Zhang, whose moniker Crazy Xiaoyangge means “crazy little brother Yang” in Chinese, is among the highest-paid online personalities in China. He earned 3.21 billion yuan (US$450 million) in 2023, according to a list prepared by the Guangdong E-commerce Summit Forum.

On Monday, Zhang touted what he referred to as “Hong Kong Meisun Mooncakes” via a live stream on Douyin, the ByteDance-owned platform that is the Chinese version of TikTok.