China summons 25 big tech firms including Alibaba and Tencent for strict 'discipline enforcement'

Warning "Find Out Yourself If You Are Wrong" Right After 6-Month Intensive Crackdown Begins

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Chinese authorities have summoned a large number of China's core big tech companies, including Alibaba and Tencent, demanding that they "correct their mistakes themselves."

According to economic media Caixin on the 31st, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China "convened" 25 internet platform companies the day before and demanded that they identify and correct their mistakes themselves in relation to the recently launched "internet industry intensive crackdown."

The companies summoned that day included major Chinese technology firms such as Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, Pinduoduo, Baidu, Sina Weibo, Kuaishou, JD.com, Huawei, Didi Chuxing, Meituan, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Trip.com, and NetEase.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology demanded that the management of each company take responsibility, familiarize themselves with the crackdown list, and efficiently correct their mistakes on their own.

Earlier, on the 26th, the Ministry announced that it would begin a "dedicated internet industry crackdown" lasting six months.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology indicated that the focus of this crackdown would be on threats to data security, disruption of market order, and infringement of user rights and interests.

Since the Chinese Communist Party and government publicly criticized Alibaba founder Jack Ma in October last year, they have been significantly strengthening regulations on internet companies under various pretexts such as antitrust, financial stability, and consumer information protection.

Recently, despite the authorities' "self-restraint recommendation," they have expanded the scope of regulation to national security by conducting internet security reviews against Didi Chuxing, which pushed ahead with a U.S. listing, showing no signs of easing pressure on the internet industry.