China says FedEx probe was launched after ‘complaints from users’
- Top postal regulator doesn’t mention Huawei or US trade war in explaining decision to investigate American courier company
- It comes after Huawei accused the firm of unauthorised re-routing of its packages, saying some were diverted to the US instead of addresses in Asia
Beijing began investigating US delivery services giant FedEx after it received “complaints from users”, China’s top postal regulator said, telling foreign operators to safeguard the “legitimate interests” of Chinese companies.
“The investigation into FedEx can help maintain order in the Chinese delivery industry, safeguard Chinese customers’ legitimate rights, and help to ensure the safety and economic security of China’s national postal service,” Ma said in an interview on state broadcaster CCTV on Saturday.
Last week, Huawei accused FedEx of unauthorised re-routing of its packages, saying some had been bound for addresses in Asia, including its offices in China, but had been diverted to the US. FedEx apologised on its Chinese social media account for the “mistransportation” of the Huawei shipments, saying they were re-routed in error but that there was no external pressure to do so.
“Our relationship with Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and our relationships with all of our customers in China are important to us,” FedEx said in the statement. “FedEx will fully cooperate with any regulatory investigation into how we serve our customers.”