Alibaba-linked shopping platform closes in Taiwan under pressure

Move follows regulatory finding that Chinese company obscured its involvement

Taiwanese authorities alleged the U.K.-based company that operated Taobao Taiwan is in effect controlled by Alibaba Group Holding. (Photo by Yu Nakamura)

NIKKI SUN, Nikkei staff writer

October 15, 2020 19:09 JST

HONG KONG -- Taobao Taiwan, a local affiliate of Chinese internet shopping leader Alibaba Group Holding, has shut down its online platform under regulatory pressure.

The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of Chinese investments in Taiwan with cross-strait political tensions running high. Local companies who were supporting Tencent Holdings' WeTV streaming service and that of rival iQiyi, backed by Baidu, were ordered in August to halt such cooperation.