In a forceful defense of its corporate reputation, Haier Group’s financial and healthcare arms have issued a stern rebuttal against viral rumors linking the household appliance giant to controversial anti-aging treatments. The controversy centers on allegations that the group was involved in 'young blood' transfusions, a fringe medical practice that has recently circulated on social media. The denial highlights the growing tension between China’s blue-chip conglomerates and a burgeoning, often under-regulated, wellness industry.
On March 30, Yingkang Life, the healthcare ecosystem brand under Haier Group (Qingdao) Jinying Holding Co., Ltd., published a formal statement targeting Yu Wenhong, the chairwoman of Yuemeiren Group. The statement accused Yu of falsely claiming her enterprises were backed by Haier while fabricating services related to 'micro-vesicle blood extraction' and 'blood-replacement therapy.' Haier clarified that Yu is not an employee, and the group has never authorized any partnership or use of its brand for these activities.
Yu Wenhong is a polarizing figure in the Chinese beauty and wellness sector, with a history of regulatory run-ins that span over a decade. In 2011, she was the subject of an exposé by CCTV’s investigative program Focus Interview for practicing medicine without a license. More recently, in 2022, a subsidiary of her Yuemeiren Group was hit with an 88-million-yuan fine for tax evasion, further complicating her standing within the industry.
For Haier, the stakes of this association are high as it seeks to pivot from traditional white goods into the sophisticated life sciences and clinical medicine sectors. Since 2019, its Yingkang Life brand has aggressively expanded, now controlling three listed companies including Haier Biotech and Shanghai RAAS. Any perceived link to unproven 'blood-swapping' treatments threatens the scientific credibility required to compete in the global biotech market, where Haier now operates across 160 countries.
By threatening legal action and 'zero tolerance' for those misappropriating its brand, Haier is signaling a broader move by Chinese giants to guard their intellectual property against 'halo' marketing. In the digital age, smaller firms frequently attempt to borrow the legitimacy of state-backed or major private conglomerates to mask pseudo-scientific claims. This incident underscores the regulatory challenges facing Beijing as it attempts to clean up the medical aesthetic market while fostering a high-tech domestic biotech sector.