China plans tighter checks to tackle shoddy online goods from Alibaba, JD.com and others

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China's biggest internet company has feuded in the past with the SAIC over the dubious nature of goods sold on the firm's platforms, with Alibaba's shares tumbling after one unusually public spat earlier this year. Photo: AP

Published: 4:20am, 18 Nov 2015Updated: 5:50am, 18 Nov 2015

The mainland will ramp up inspections of goods bought online, a regulator said yesterday, seeking to root out low-quality goods that have plagued firms like Alibaba as well as the country's broader image.

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) plans to step up random quality checks for goods bought online, according to the regulator's website. The SAIC will take into account consumer reports, and press for cooperation from e-commerce platforms.

Companies like Alibaba, rival JD.com and others have been called out by regulators for enabling the sale of low-quality goods and counterfeit products. But authorities are also keen to shake off China's reputation as a market plagued by consumer safety scares and rampant intellectual property infringement.

A consumer views JD.com online shopping website in a university in Beijing ahead of Singles Day. Photo: EPA

The issue has affected e-commerce leader Alibaba in particular. The country's biggest internet company has feuded in the past with the SAIC over the dubious nature of goods sold on the firm's platforms, with Alibaba's shares tumbling after one unusually public spat earlier this year.

Merchants found to be selling goods that don't meet the regulator's standards will be made to stop sales, the SAIC said. The e-commerce platforms on which they operate will also bear responsibility for removing the products, it said.

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