(Yicai) March 17 -- Several Chinese companies said they will take swift action after China's state broadcaster exposed consumer rights abuses related to recycling disposable underwear, home appliance repairs, and others during its 315 annual television event that names and shames brands for unethical or illegal business practices.

Free Point, a sanitary napkin brand owned by Baiya Sanitary Products, said it would combat illegal recycling, refurbishment, and counterfeit sales after China Central Television show reported on related safety concerns with disposable underwear. The brand will set up an investigation team and vows to file police reports, it added.

Shares of Chongqing-based Baiya Sanitary [SHE: 003006] plunged 9.3 percent to CNY23.16 (USD3.20) each as of lunch time in Shenzhen today.

Chinese regulators have begun investigating issues with disposable underwear related to Baiya Sanitary, Chinese medical disposables maker Winner Medical, and knitted underwear manufacturer Langsha Holding.

Langsha would actively cooperate with local market regulators, the Sichuan province-based company announced. Its stock [SHA: 600137] fell 1.1 percent to CNY15.83.

Purcotton, the pure cotton tissues brand of Winner Medical, said it has no connection to the firms implicated in the disposable underwear violations, adding that its products are certified and comply with national safety standards. Shares of the parent company [SHE: 300888] tumbled 5.9 percent to CNY43.99 apiece.

CCTV broadcasts the special show once a year on World Consumer Rights Day, which is March 15, hence its name '315.' This year's program exposed violations with substandard sanitary pads, baby diapers that should have been destroyed, unsterilized disposable underwear, overcharges for home appliance repairs, excessive use of phosphate water-retaining agents in processed shrimp, platforms charging extra interest via electronic signatures, robocalls violating consumer privacy, phone lottery fraud, the sales of substandard electrical cables, and others.

China Dotman and Tongchuang Jiuding Investment Management Group also faced scrutiny over their stakes in Woodpecker Network Technology and Renrenxing Technology, which are involved in e-signature lending practices.

Chongqing-based Woodpecker Network has established a special investigation team to address service standards and pricing transparency irregularities, it announced.

The State Administration for Market Regulation has started an immediate probe into the violations, while the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology began investigating AI robocall harassment and other issues.

Local governments also took swift action, with Jining sealing implicated facilities and detaining company executives, Shangqiu seizing products and materials, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region forming a task force to investigate non-standard cable manufacturers, Tianjin probing exposed lending platforms, Chengdu's Jinjiang district investigating lending platforms, Lianyungang addressing the shrimp weight manipulation issue, and Zhanjiang inspecting water-retaining shrimp products, seizing materials, and recalling products.

Editor: Maritn Kadiev