WalMart is in trouble in China, because it hasn’t paid rent since 2002, and it lies about what it sells.

According to Chinese media, in 2002 WalMart signed a 15 year lease contract with the Wanguo Shopping Plaza in the northeastern coastal city of Dalian.  Problems occurred with the timely development of the property, and WalMart decided to move across the street.  The problem is that they signed a 15 year contract.

Wanguo Shopping Plaza has sued WalMart for back due rent.  Chinese courts have ruled that the lease contract is still binding.

WalMart had claimed that Wanguo Shopping Plaza lost its business license, and that the contract was terminated in 2007.  WalMart also claimed they paid about two years worth of rent.  The courts found that Wanguo Shopping Plaza never lost its license, there is no evidence the contract was terminated, and that WalMart paid a little more than one year of rent.

This is just the latest in bad things happening to WalMart in China.  In October, 13 Wal-Mart stores were shut down for 15 days for selling incorrectly labelled pork products.  WalMart had previously been penalized 21 times since 2006 for false advertising and selling expired food!