HONG KONG – China’s market regulator said Monday it has launched a probe into suspected monopolistic behavior by food delivery firm Meituan.
The investigation comes amid increased scrutiny of internet companies suspected of anti-competitive practices. The State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement that it was looking into Meituan’s policies, including exclusivity arrangements known as “pick one of two.” Such practices are common in China, where e-commerce providers sometimes force merchants to exclusively sell their goods and services on just their internet platform.
Meituan, which competes with Alibaba’s Ele.me food delivery platform in China, said in a statement posted on the microblogging platform Weibo that it