KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 -- A warning from Malaysia's Karex Bhd, the world's top condom producer, that it plans to raise prices by 20 to 30 per cent has unexpectedly gone viral in China, sparking widespread discussion about stockpiling as the Iran war disrupts global supply chains.

The announcement from the Malaysian company has had its most dramatic impact in China, where the hashtag "condom prices rising" garnered more than 60 million views on the social media platform Weibo.

Karex CEO Goh Miah Kiat told Reuters that the price hike was unavoidable due to soaring costs for raw materials caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

"The situation is definitely very fragile, prices are expensive... We have no choice but to transfer the cost...