Muji Shanghai, a branch of Japanese retailer Muji, which sells household consumer goods, was fined 200,000 yuan ($31,300) recently by the Shanghai Administration for Industry and Commerce for selling products marked "Made in Taiwan" as the country of origin on packages.

The punishment was imposed on March 22, and made public recently in a notice on the website of the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System.

On Aug 5 last year, the company imported 119 clothes hangers from Japan with "Made in Taiwan" as the country of origin on the products' packages to sell online and in stores, according to the punishment notice.

"The company did not properly perform the inspection obligations, resulting in the sale of the goods. The number of sales cannot be counted. After the incident, the company changed the package," the notice said.

"It violates China's Advertising Law that advertising should not damage the dignity or interests of the country," it said.