People's Daily controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2025
Disputed LeBron James byline
An article published under LeBron James's byline included a note saying it was compiled from an interview. James's representative said he had not written it and that it was based on group interviews.
2023
Backlash over commentary on poverty and boredom
A People's Daily exhortation that citizens should not complain about poverty or boredom generated substantial criticism on Chinese social media.
2022
Starbucks faces backlash over Chongqing store incident
Public backlash
In February 2022, Starbucks faced criticism in China after a report that staff at a Chongqing store told police officers eating outside to move away went viral. Starbucks apologized for inappropriate communications and described the incident as a misunderstanding. The company denied that staff chased away police officers or tried to file complaints against them. The event drew public attention online and prompted the company to respond to the criticism.
Company response
Apology — Starbucks
Starbucks apologized on its Weibo account late on Monday for "inappropriate communications," saying the whole thing was a misunderstanding.
Source excerpt
Starbucks apologized on its Weibo account late on Monday for "inappropriate communications," saying the whole thing was a misunderstanding.
The user's description of the incident quickly went viral on the Twitter-like platform, prompting the ruling Communist party's mouthpiece People's Daily newspaper to issue a commentary, in which it called Starbucks "arrogant".
It continued to face criticism online on Tuesday, with a few small companies announcing on Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok, that they would "boycott" Starbucks by forbidding employees from arranging meetings in or buying drinks from the shops of the coffee chain.
2021
Xinjiang human-rights denial campaign
ProPublica and The New York Times reported that People's Daily participated in a coordinated state propaganda campaign that denied or deflected allegations of human-rights abuses in Xinjiang.