China's Ministry Of Industry Orders Alibaba And Tencent To Stop Blocking Each Other

JAKARTA - China's Ministry of Industry has ordered technology companies including Alibaba Group Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd to stop blocking each other's website links from their platforms. This was revealed in the 21st Century Business Herald report on Saturday, September 11.

The newspaper, citing unnamed sources, said that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology proposed standards to companies on Friday, September 10 for instant messaging services, and informed them that all platforms must be unblocked at a certain time.

The ministry said it may have to resort to other measures if companies do not comply with the order. The move is the latest in a regulatory crackdown that spans industries from technology to entertainment and gaming companies.

Companies attending the meeting included Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, Baidu Inc, Huawei Technologies Co, and Xiaomi Corp, the newspaper said. But the company declined to comment on the order.

China's internet has been dominated by a handful of tech giants who have historically blocked links and services by rivals on their platforms. This creates what analysts call a "walled garden".

Regulators in recent months have cracked down, accusing companies of establishing monopolies and limiting consumer choice.

In July, the Wall Street Journal reported that Alibaba and Tencent were gradually considering opening up their services to each other. For example, by introducing Tencent's WeChat Pay to Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall e-commerce marketplaces.