China to step up action against dishonest e-commerce retailers

China has pledged more measures to stamp out dishonest behavior among e-commerce businesses after online shopping received the most complaints from netizens in the first six months of 2018.

A report released Monday by the China Federation of Internet Societies said more than 60 percent of e-commerce complaints from January to June were about online shopping, which it defined as buying from platforms such as Tmall, Taobao or JD.

The number of complaints show that dishonest behavior among e-commerce retailers remains a problem, including online fraud, spreading rumors and personal data leaks.

"This not only harms consumers' interests but also causes disorder in cyberspace," said Ren Xianliang, head of the federation, which is part of the Cyberspace Administration, the nation's internet regulator.

Ren made the remark on Monday at the China Internet Integrity Conference in Beijing.

He called on all e-commerce service providers to make trustworthiness a priority and to follow industry rules according to the country's E-commerce Law.

In October, e-commerce giants including JD and Alibaba, the parent company of Tmall and Taobao, signed an agreement promising not to mislead consumers with false advertisements and product introductions, or lure, cheat or threaten consumers to change their feedback after making online purchases.

China's top legislature, the National People's Congress Standing Committee, passed the E-commerce Law in August, clearly outlining the responsibilities of internet enterprises. It also ordered enterprises to set up online channels for consumers to complain or report problems.

The law takes effect on Jan 1.