China warns online platform companies to halt anti-competitive practices

In February, China issued new anti-monopoly guidelines targeting internet platforms that barred a range of behaviour

Tony Munroe and Sophie Yu, Reuters News

April 13, 2021

BEIJING, April 13 (Reuters) - China's market regulator onTuesday met with nearly three dozen internet "platform"companies including Tencent 0700.HK , ByteDance and JD.com JD.O and ordered them to conduct self-inspections to ensurethey are not using banned practices including forcing vendors touse their platform exclusively.

The directive to 34 companies from the State Administrationfor Market Regulation comes as China conducts widening reformsto stamp out anti-competitive behavior in its booming e-commercesector.

(Reporting by Tony Munroe and Sophie Yu; Editing by KimCoghill) ((tony.munroe@thomsonreuters.com; +86 10 6627 1288; ReutersMessaging: tony.munroe.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))