China hits out at EU over AliExpress fine

China expressed grave concern on Wednesday over the European Commission's decision to fine Chinese company AliExpress under the European Union's Digital Services Act, with a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce urging the bloc to stop using platform regulation as a pretext to erect digital trade barriers.

On Monday, the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, imposed a 550 million euro ($627.55 million) fine on AliExpress, an Alibaba-owned cross-border e-commerce platform, accusing the company of failing to address the sale of illegal, unsafe and counterfeit products.

Responding to the move, a ministry spokesperson said in a statement that China will firmly support its companies in safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests through legal means and will take resolute measures to protect the lawful interests of Chinese businesses.

China firmly opposes the EU's use of platform regulation to create digital barriers and adopt discriminatory measures that restrict the normal business operations of Chinese e-commerce companies in Europe, said the commerce official.

The spokesperson urged the EU to stop abusing its discretionary powers by exploiting ambiguities in legal provisions and to treat Chinese companies in a fair and impartial manner.