China's record food safety fine reveals violent corporate resistance during bakery crackdown

China's State Administration for Market Regulation has levied a fine of 3.6 billion yuan (US$528 million) on seven prominent e-commerce companies, including PDD Holdings, Meituan, JD.com, Alibaba Group Holding, and ByteDance. An investigation revealed 67,000 unlicensed bakeries operating on these platforms. In December, officials found a concealed office at Pinduoduo, where investigator Guo Hui sustained a hand fracture when it was trapped by a door. The next evening, PDD's head of security led an aggressive group that confronted investigators, pushing them and causing Guo to fall, resulting in a head injury that required hospitalization. Additionally, a PDD worker was seen passing notes with instructions like "silence," which he then swallowed in front of officials. China Quality Daily reported these findings on Monday, while Xinhua News Agency confirmed the Pinduoduo incident occurred on Saturday. The company has yet to respond to inquiries as of Tuesday.