Haier Apologizes After Falsely Claiming WHO Endorsement

Chinese home appliances giant Haier Electronics Group Co. Ltd. has apologized after incorrectly claiming that a World Health Organization (WHO) expert endorsed the company for its contribution to reducing indoor air pollution.

The air-conditioner maker has been feeling the heat after posting on its official website that Wang Hongcai, a “WHO expert,” praised Haier’s air conditioners for cutting pollution and said that “fighting global indoor air pollution requires innovative enterprises like Haier.”

The comments were apparently made at the Global Indoor Air Purification and Human Health Seminar, a May 17 Beijing event that was promoted by the company on its official website. It was also promoted by several media organizations, including the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

The seminar was jointly organized by the Global Health Industry Alliance and “co-initiated” by Haier, media reports said. The alliance has no official website, and little information about it is available online.

Haier apologized in a Saturday statement (link in Chinese) to the WHO as well as to the public for “not being sufficiently cautious in authenticating the identity of the event organizer” and promised not to publish any untrue posts. The Haier post and other media reports on the seminar have all been deleted.

The company made its apology after a WHO statement (link in Chinese) denied that Wang was a “WHO expert” and rejected other claims about air pollution made at the seminar.

Wang is a doctor specializing in diabetes and depression at the Acupuncture and Moxibustion Hospital of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. The traditional Chinese medicine hospital has collaborated with the WHO, but its employees are not WHO members, the WHO said.

“No WHO employee attended the seminar,” WHO said.

When contacted by Caixin, an employee of the hospital said that Wang was on a business trip and will return to the hospital for consultations on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the since-deleted Haier post about the seminar, Wang attributed 90% of indoor air pollution to air conditioners. The WHO, on the other hand, said that the main cause of indoor pollution in China is the burning of solid fuels, such as coal or biomass, for cooking or heating.

Contact reporter Coco Feng (renkefeng@caixin.com)