Panda cigarettes that could hardly be found in stores around the country before were made famous by late leader Deng Xiaoping, said Zheng Meili, a saleswoman at Shanghai Famous Brand Tobacco & Wine Shop, said in a 2004 China Daily report. Low cigarette taxes, easy accessibility, and enticing advertisements have kept cigarettes consumption on the rise.
![]() |
An excerpt from aChina Daily report in 2004. |