Shanghai-based stationery company M&G has denied stopping sales of A4 paper as COVID protests take place across China.

 

White sheets of A4 have become a symbol of defiance against the Chinese authorities as people take to the streets to protest against the latest COVID lockdowns, the government’s zero-COVID policy, and censorship. 

 

A document circulating on local social media on 28 November said that M&G had stopped selling A4 paper to “maintain national security and stability” and “prevent outlaws from hoarding a large amount of A4 white paper and using it for illegal subversive activities”.

 

However, in a filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange, M&G said the document was a forgery and that it had taken up the matter with the police. The company added that its current paper production and operations were “normal”.

 

M&G is a renowned office and school product supplier in China. It runs more than 80,000 retail outlets nationwide, with 442 stores branded M&G Life Venue and Jiumu Grocery.

 

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