Direct answer
Do not use 国家级, 最高, 最佳, 第一, 顶级 or English equivalents (“best”, “No.1”, “top-tier”, “national-level”) in China-facing ads, packaging, or livestream scripts. False advertising (Art. 28) and superlatives (Art. 9(3)) typically draw RMB 200,000–1,000,000, severe cases to RMB 2,000,000 or licence revocation. Food and cosmetics may not claim disease treatment. Every functional claim needs a file-ready test report before publication. First-time minor breaches that are promptly fixed may seek mitigation under Administrative Penalty Law Arts 32–33.
Banned-term / fine matrix
| Claim type | Examples | Statute | Band (statutory) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute terms | best, No.1, 顶级, 国家级 | Adv. Law Art. 9(3) | 200k–1m typical; severe to 2m / revoke |
| False ads | Unsubstantiated performance | Adv. Law Arts 4, 28, 55; AUCL 8, 20 | Same band + civil |
| Medical on food/cosmetics | cures, treats, prevents disease | Sector + Adv. Law | Admin + possible product action |
Chart note: bars are statutory ranges, not invented average fines.
Scope / legal framework
Advertising Law Art. 9(3). Prohibits absolute language such as national-level, highest, best.
Administrative Penalty Law Arts 32–33. Mitigation or exemption pathways for first-time, minor, promptly rectified harm-free breaches.
Practical workflow
- Claims database: claim | medium | report ID | expiry | legal owner.
- Pre-clear packaging, KOL briefs, livestream scripts.
- If cited: rectify immediately and plead Arts 32–33 where facts fit.
Annotated claims-database row
claim: "dermatologist tested" medium: Tmall detail + Douyin script v3 report: SGS-2026-0441 (expires 2027-03-01) approval: none (not a drug/device claim) owner: CN marketing counsel status: CLEAR
Common mistakes
- Translating global “#1 in Europe” into 第一 without localisation.
- Influencer ad-libs off-script.
Action checklist
- ☐ Scrape own store for 最/第一/顶级
- ☐ Report folder before campaign
- ☐ KOL indemnified + script lock
