Ministry decries inclusion on 'notorious' list

The Ministry of Commerce challenged on Thursday the objectivity and accountability of "notorious markets" list by the United States.

The list, released by the Office of the US Trade Representative last week, blacklisted three Chinese online platforms and six physical markets over alleged sale of counterfeit products. Taobao.com, Alibaba Group's e-commerce platform, and Silk Market, a shopping center in Beijing, were included in the list.

Gao Feng, the ministry's spokesman, said the trade representative's findings were undermined by vague wordings and a lack of conclusive evidence.