China said that a European Union investigation into Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com constituted “improper extraterritorial jurisdiction” and ordered entities not to implement or assist with the probe, reports Reuters.
The order, issued by the justice ministry, is the second time that China has invoked its regulations countering “unlawful extraterritorial jurisdiction measures”. Introduced in April, the regulations expanded Beijing’s economic pressure toolkit amid strained ties with trading partners including the EU.
The European Commission opened an investigation in May into JD.com’s $2.5 billion bid for German electronics retailer Ceconomy under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, citing concerns that JD.com might have received foreign subsidies that could distort the bloc’s market.