Following Airbnb's Lead, Amazon Will Stop Selling Kindle In China By 2023

Amazon will pull Kindle out of China, but other businesses remain (photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Amazon has said that it will stop selling its e-reader Kindle to Chinese retailers.

It was Amazon that announced the decision via its official WeChat account on Thursday, June 2. They will also close the online bookstore service on June 30, 2023. Users will not be able to buy new e-books after that date.

The announcement also mentions that it includes removing the Kindle app from the China App Store by 2024. The company said the shutdown of the Kindle business in China was not due to government pressure or censorship.

"We remain committed to our customers in China. As a global business, we periodically evaluate our offerings and make adjustments, wherever we operate," an Amazon spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Amazon's move comes after several companies decided to leave China, such as Airbnb, Yahoo, and LinkedIn due to local government regulations that tighten content controls and new regulations on customer privacy.

Previously, Airbnb was reported on May 24 last, will close its domestic business in China due to rising costs and domestic competition.

Airbnb officially launched in mainland China in 2016, during which time the company has faced a lot of competition.