The call comes as investigations into tech giant Alibaba Group over alleged monopolistic conduct continues.
China’s top court has demanded more scrutiny is needed to crack down on monopolies and unfair competition. The Supreme People’s Court stated that extensive work needs to be done to determine and verify whether a business is engaging in monopolistic practices, regulate data collection and use, and protect consumers’ rights and interests in the digital sector, according to a report by China’s state-run People’s Daily. The court also urged the need to ensure entities have access to equal resources and a unified procedure is in place that promotes fair competitions, the media outlet reported. The demand by the Supreme People’s Court comes as China’s antitrust watchdog continues its probe into tech giant Alibaba Group over alleged anti-competitive practices. The State Administration of Market Regulation is claiming Alibaba has been involved in monopolistic conduct such as « forced exclusivity » by requiring e-commerce merchants to pick only one platform as their exclusive distribution channel, according to the South China Morning Post. In a statement, Alibaba said it would « actively cooperate with the regulators on the investigation », adding that the « company business operations will remain normal ». As the investigation continues to unfold, the Chinese government is reportedly considering nationalising Alibaba Group and the company’s financial services arm Ant Group.
