Nongfu Spring Founder Zhong Shanshan Criticizes E-Commerce Platforms on State TV

Zhong Shanshan, founder of Chinese beverage giant Nongfu Spring, took aim at major e-commerce platforms during an appearance on state broadcaster CCTV's business program Dialogue. His sharp critique highlights ongoing tensions between traditional manufacturing brands and dominant digital marketplaces over channel fees, pricing control, and platform power. State-affiliated media commentary following the broadcast urged platforms to shift away from rent-seeking behavior toward sustainable value creation, while calling for closer coexistence between online and brick-and-mortar retail.

As one of China's most prominent industrial leaders, Zhong's public confrontation with e-commerce platforms reflects deep-seated friction between physical goods manufacturers and digital platform operators over margins, data dominance, and distribution power.

Zhong Shanshan, the billionaire founder of leading Chinese bottled water and beverage maker Nongfu Spring, has directed sharp criticism at e-commerce platforms during an appearance on state broadcaster CCTV's flagship business interview program, Dialogue. According to coverage and commentary published by China News Service, Zhong used the televised appearance to challenge the operating practices and dominance of major e-commerce platforms. While specific broadcast transcripts were not fully detailed in initial reports, his remarks brought the contentious relationship between offline consumer manufacturers and digital retail platforms back into national focus. In a commentary accompanying the report, China News Service noted that while Zhong's rhetoric was forceful and reflected a manufacturer's perspective, his intervention pushed the critical question of the boundaries of platform power to the forefront of public discussion. The commentary argued that the relationship between online platforms and physical commerce should not be viewed as a zero-sum conflict. Instead of competing over a static pool of commercial surplus through traffic-driven extraction, the publication asserted that platform operators need to move away from a rent-seeking mindset and focus on enabling commercial partners. The commentary also urged traditional businesses to adapt by combining tangible in-person consumer experiences with digital operational efficiencies, emphasizing that fostering a mutually beneficial ecosystem across the digital and real economies is far more vital than taking sides. Tensions between dominant internet platforms and consumer goods manufacturers have simmered for years in China. Brand owners frequently contend with aggressive algorithmic pricing pressures, high advertising and traffic acquisition costs, and platform-driven promotional discounts that can compress manufacturer margins and disrupt established offline distribution networks.