What Do You Think About Media Criticism Targeting the Vaping Industry Committee?

Recently, an e-cigarette self-media published an open letter, not mentioning the name of this self-media, which is actually not worth paying attention to. The open letter makes a so-called "good-natured" discussion and negotiation regarding the e-cigarette industry committee and its president, piecing together several events or statements to fabricate the illusion that the industry association is unprofessional, non-standard, and not independent. I believe that this kind of selective quoting is not the hallmark of an objective and fair media. Through the following questions, we can extend the discussion on whether the viewpoint it intends to express, under the guise of "good intentions," truly comes from a "love for the industry."
 
1. Can the president of the industry association be held by a business leader?

The open letter implies and questions, using veiled criticism, that it is unfair for the president of the industry association elected by e-cigarette companies to be held by a business leader. So, can industry leaders serve as the president of the association?

Back in 2015, the Ministry of Civil Affairs issued the "Management Measures for the Appointment of Heads of National Industry Associations (Trial)," which set specific requirements for the qualifications, election process, and term of office for business association leaders. It also specifically stated that "the chairman (president) and the secretary-general cannot be held by the same person and cannot come from the same member unit."

In other words, the management measures issued by the Ministry of Civil Affairs do not oppose the heads of member units serving as leaders of business associations; they only stipulate that they cannot come from the same member unit. As long as the election process complies with regulations and is democratically elected by members, its existence is permitted.

The e-cigarette committee is a secondary organization of a national industry association, a non-independent legal entity. Its highest authority is the council, composed of all member units, exercising the powers of election, dismissal, review, and supervision. It has an executive council that implements the resolutions of the council. The president, vice president, secretary-general, and other units and candidates must be elected by the council, which is the internal management regulation of the committee. Additionally, the committee is subject to dual constraints; the superior competent authority, which is the general association, also provides business guidance and supervision. The e-cigarette committee is not a "one-man show" social organization, and the industry work it carries out is not decided by the president alone but is determined through discussions among all members.

If it is said that a business leader serving as the president of a business association is, as the media's open letter states, an unfair situation of being both an athlete and a referee, then I think Jack Ma should not serve as the president of the Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce, and entrepreneurs should not serve as members of the CPPCC or representatives of the National People's Congress.

Business associations are an important part of the development and management of the market economy, composed of enterprises with the same goals, geographical locations, demands, difficulties, and ideals. They play a crucial role in bridging and linking the government and enterprises, reflecting demands, safeguarding rights, regulating behaviors, and providing services. The e-cigarette industry has benefited from having a dedicated national industry organization, allowing a group of industry enterprises to coordinate their industry affairs. The establishment of the e-cigarette committee has made significant contributions to promoting industry standards, normative development, product categories, and policy demands, which is recognized by member enterprises. Otherwise, it would not have repeatedly received praise from government departments and recognition from enterprises for joining. The number of member enterprises has grown from less than 80 in the beginning to nearly 400 now, and the industry has continuously welcomed good news regarding the formulation and introduction of standards over the past two years.

2. Can exaggerated or misinterpreted statements represent personal views?

We know that the media's responsibility is to restore a fact as much as possible, narrating the causes and consequences or the process of an event in a fair and objective manner. Many official media rarely use terms like "harsh criticism" or "exposing dark secrets." Such subjective language cannot represent the attitude of the parties involved; you are not a worm in the stomach of the parties involved, how do you know their inner feelings are extremely angry? The parties involved only mentioned that if ceramics enter the bloodstream and cause discomfort, it would take decades to find out. This discomfort does not specify the degree or symptoms. Currently, no expert dares to guarantee that e-cigarettes are harmless. The parties involved only mentioned a possibility or hypothetical situation, so how did it turn into a scene of "harsh criticism" or "exposing dark secrets" in media reports?

It is understood that the statements made by the parties involved during the interview were made at their company's new product launch as a business leader discussing their views on product technology, not the media's so-called "harsh criticism" or "exposing dark secrets," and cannot represent their personal viewpoint. A senior expert from the industry association, Zhang Jing, a standing director of the Economic Law Research Association of the China Law Society, mentioned a similar issue 13 years ago, stating that if the parties involved express views in their capacity as company leaders, and their position in the industry association is something the media has dug up or added, then this is not the responsibility of the parties involved. Thirteen years ago, Zhang Dongli, the chairman of the China Hardware Products Association, also encountered a similar issue; at that time, Zhang Dongli was an independent director of Supor.

3. Do member enterprises need protection when facing unreasonable oppression?

The open letter also attempts to tarnish the public image of the e-cigarette committee by referencing an earlier incident where the e-cigarette committee dealt with the oppression of e-cigarette enterprises by exhibitors. It suggests that the industry association is coercing member units to comply with unreasonable behaviors of exhibitors, portraying a "tragic drama." The truth of the matter is that exhibitors forced e-cigarette enterprises to participate in both exhibitions by selling booth space a year in advance and demanded immediate payment for exhibition fees, otherwise they would not be allowed to exhibit, even including threatening remarks. After receiving complaints from member enterprises, the e-cigarette committee represented the members in opposing this behavior, advocating that market cooperation principles should be fair, just, and mutually respectful, which is conducive to the healthy and orderly development of the industry. However, the media's open letter considers such behavior by exhibitors to be a reasonable business practice that should be understood, distorting the truth with this example.

If the industry association receives members' demands and does not respond, how can it be said to represent the rights and interests of its members? If such oppressive behavior is not resisted, how can it live up to the trust and expectations of its members? Through this negotiation, the price of the exhibitor's booth was reduced by more than 500 yuan per square meter, saving costs for member enterprises.

The self-media that concocted the open letter claims to have been established for a short time and does not have a deep understanding of the history of e-cigarettes in China. It is precisely because of this lack of understanding that they have the opportunity to play the role of a fearless newcomer. The implication is that regardless of whether what they say is right or wrong, because they do not understand, they have the desire to explore and the courage to pursue knowledge. This reminds me of another media article that described the e-cigarette industry as a profit-driven arena filled with gold, which drew the attention of relevant departments, planning to take measures to address the "exaggerated wind" in the e-cigarette industry in the near future. Some media's sensationalism can increase their reading traffic, but in the end, it is the e-cigarette industry and those deeply involved in it that suffer. In fact, there is no issue in the industry; it is just that more people are concerned about it, which creates industry issues. It is certainly a good thing for a new industry to have more outsiders paying attention and caring, but one should not comment or criticize casually without understanding. It is irresponsible to maliciously defame an organization or an individual with ulterior motives and ill intentions. Such self-proclaimed media that claim to love the industry are not the "mouthpiece" that the e-cigarette industry needs. Ignorance does not equate to being unscrupulous; to love it, one must understand it.