Addressing allegations: Alibaba founder meets Chinese regulator

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BEIJING:
Alibaba founder Jack Ma has met with the head of a powerful Chinese regulator, days after authorities accused the e-commerce giant of allowing “illegal” actions on its multi-billion-dollar online shopping platform.The meeting between Ma and State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) Director Zhang Mao may signal a de-escalation of the dispute, which saw the regulator deliver an unprecedented public dressing-down of the prominent Chinese firm. “We have always been committed to combating fake products and have devoted our efforts to solve this difficult problem,” said Ma during the meeting. He pledged that Alibaba would “actively cooperate with the government” to address the issue, and that both sides agreed to work together to “promote the healthy and orderly development” of e-commerce in China.


Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2015.