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The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has expressed its “strong dissatisfaction and serious concern” over the European Union’s decision to impose a record fine of 550 million euros on the online platform AliExpress.
Measures announced
Last Monday, the European Commission announced that it was imposing a fine of 550 million euros on AliExpress, the online platform of the Chinese Alibaba Group, because the retailer is not doing enough to address the sale of illegal and dangerous products. This is the heaviest fine to date under the European Digital Services Act (DSA).
This news did not sit well with the Chinese government, which views the fine as an attempt by the EU to erect digital barriers and discriminate against Chinese e-commerce companies in their business operations within Europe. China has announced that it will take measures to protect the rights of its companies.
The fine illustrates the EU’s growing assertiveness in its dealings with China. At the urging of the retail sector, Europe has expressed concern about what is often viewed as unfair competition from Chinese online players, who do not always appear to comply with European rules on privacy, product safety, and counterfeiting.