Late on the evening of October 18, the market supervision bureau of Danyang, Jiangsu Province, issued a statement. Earlier that day, CCTV’s Weekly Quality Report had aired a segment on myopia-control lenses involving four businesses in the city: Danyang Yaocheng Optical, Boda Optical, Duoaimei Eyewear and Jicai Lenses. After on-site checks, the statement said, “the reported situation is basically accurate,” and formal investigations have been opened.
That same afternoon, the market supervision bureau of Siming District in Xiamen issued a statement of its own: media reports said Xiamen Laifu Eyewear Co. had sold children’s myopia-control lenses under counterfeit and borrowed brand names, and on-site checks had found the situation basically accurate. An investigation has been opened there too.
Six hours apart, the two statements bracketed a set of numbers that has been forwarded again and again.
1. One lens, two prices
At some wholesale stalls in Danyang, CCTV reporters asked about a lens: refractive index 1.56, suited to myopia under 300 degrees, multi-point defocus design, wholesale price 30 yuan. The report offered a comparison—that price is not much different from an ordinary myopia lens.
In a copy of the “Adolescent Myopia Management Lens Product Manual,” the same off-the-shelf lens carries a suggested retail price of 1,980 yuan. As for what happens next, the vendors were blunt: buyers can follow that price, decide for themselves which trademark to stick on, and set whatever price they like.
Look closely at the phrase “suggested retail price.” It is a reference number printed by the manufacturer in a catalog—not a transaction price, and not a pricing basis set by anyone. The number on the counter is produced later, at the next link in the chain: which brand goes on, and how much it sells for.
2. The line missing from the packaging
Across more than 20 eyewear shops, reporters found a different set of information on the packaging: plenty of products claimed to “slow progression” and “safely protect the eyes,” few in the same batch could produce clinical reports, and a handful left even the manufacturer’s name and address blank.
This lines up with what regulators routinely tell consumers. Market supervision departments in Zhangjiagang, Beijing’s Haidian District, Jingzhou, Wuxi and elsewhere repeat the same advice in eyewear shopping tips: check whether the lens and frame packaging carries a certificate of conformity, the manufacturer’s name and address, a contact phone number and the applicable standard.
One more spot is easy to overlook: lensmeters, focimeters and trial lens sets are measuring instruments subject to compulsory verification. The equipment should bear a compulsory verification mark, and that mark should still be within its validity period.
3. Myopia-control lenses aren’t the problem—the question is whether this pair has evidence
A 2025 expert consensus published in the Chinese Journal of Ophthalmology, on evaluating the myopia-control effect and safe wear of spectacle lenses with multi-point micro-lens defocus design, states that multi-point defocus lenses do work against myopia progression and are one of the important methods for slowing it. Effectiveness requires clinical trial support: the consensus recommends randomized controlled trials as the gold standard, with a study period of at least one year against single-vision lenses as the control, and axial length as the preferred evaluation metric.
The same consensus notes something else: China has not yet classified myopia-control spectacles as a medical device directly regulated by the relevant national authorities.
It also addresses quality: lenses should at minimum meet the relevant national quality standards, and micro-lens array lenses are covered by a group standard issued by the China Optometric and Optical Association. Standards on paper are one thing; whether a particular pair meets them is another. Whether this pair has undergone clinical validation, for how long, and by whom—those are questions to put to the institution fitting the lenses.
4. Four things you can do before you buy
First, check the packaging. Certificate of conformity, manufacturer’s name and address, contact phone, applicable standard—that is the list regulators keep repeating, and if any item is missing, don’t rush to pay. The lenses themselves should be smooth, clear, evenly colored, free of flaws and obvious scratches.
Second, check whether the equipment bears a compulsory verification mark, and whether the date on it is still valid.
Third, ask about clinical validation: whether it was done, how long it ran, and which metrics were used.
Fourth, keep the receipt. The fitting order should spell out brand, model, prescription and price. If a dispute arises, that is the only evidence you have, and complaints can be filed by calling 12315.
The work doesn’t end when the glasses are picked up. If a child is uncomfortable wearing them, go back to the shop for an adjustment rather than letting the child “get used to it.” Children wearing myopia-control lenses should have their refractive error and axial length checked regularly.
The Danyang statement added that authorities will draw lessons from the case and promptly launch a special campaign to regulate the eyewear industry, and welcomed public oversight, with leads accepted via 12315.
Disclaimer: This article relies entirely on public materials—CCTV’s Weekly Quality Report broadcast on October 18, and statements issued the same day by the Danyang market supervision bureau and the Siming District market supervision bureau in Xiamen. The “30-yuan wholesale price” refers only to the lens described by some Danyang wholesale vendors (refractive index 1.56, for myopia under 300 degrees, multi-point defocus); the “1,980-yuan suggested retail price” is a reference figure printed in a vendor’s product manual. Neither equals an actual transaction price. The cases are under investigation, and this article does not characterize any business. Eyewear concerns eyesight: follow the advice of a proper medical institution or a qualified fitting professional, and note that local rules vary—defer to the latest notices from your local market regulator.