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Pressure from Beijing: Alibaba places services on Tencent’s platform

They are arch-rivals and seal off their platforms from each other: China’s tech giants Alibaba and Tencent. But now Beijing is getting serious about the fight against digital monopolies. For better or worse, the two will have to cooperate. Alibaba made the first step and now applied for a mini-program on Tencent’s mega app WeChat for its online store Taobao Deals. What does Beijing’s action mean for the private platform economy in the People’s Republic?

By
Christiane Kühl
Image of Christiane Kühl

Alibaba was just the beginning. On Tuesday, the three main regulators for the technology sector summoned 34 of China’s largest internet companies for a shake-down – warnings included. No mercy will be shown for misconduct, officials told market giants such as Tencent, Meituan, and Bytedance. The companies were asked to review and adjust their business practices. Beijing has been gradually adjusting once-loose monopoly rules since November 2020. Now the direct pressure on the companies is increasing.

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