Chinese e-commerce platforms block Houston Rockets’ merchandise after backlash over GM’s tweet supporting Hong Kong protests

CCTV5, one of China’s most popular state-own sports channels, said it would suspend airing of NBA games

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In this April 17, 2019, file photo, Houston Rockets guard James Harden (right) drives against Utah Jazz forward Royce O’Neale during a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in Houston. Photo: AP

Published: 4:30am, 9 Oct 2019Updated: 5:48am, 9 Oct 2019

China’s leading e-commerce platforms, including Alibaba’s Taobao, JD.com and Pinduoduo, have blocked products related to US basketball team the Houston Rockets, whose general manager Daryl Morey on Friday posted a now-deleted tweet that indicated support for the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

Online searches for Houston Rockets merchandise on the platforms turned up a message saying “items not found”.

Alibaba did not immediately respond to several requests for comment. A spokeswoman from Pinduoduo declined to comment on the issue. A spokesman from JD.com said the company had no comment on the issue.

It is not the first time Chinese e-commerce sites have blocked items due to the Hong Kong protests triggered by the city government's now-abandoned extradition bill.

In August, Bloomberg reported that searches on Taobao for umbrellas, masks, and helmets – standard equipment used by the protesters – showed “item not found” for buyers based in Hong Kong while those on the mainland were still able to access such products.

A search by the Post on Tuesday showed those items were still not available on Taobao’s Hong Kong site.