Taobao Opens Branch in Taiwan; Legislator Questions Investment|淘寶台灣上線 立委質疑英商背後藏中資

China's biggest e-commerce platform Taobao has set up a branch in Taiwan. Some legislators argued that, the Alibaba Group, the conglomerate behind Taobao, has adopted the same business model as the Singapore-based Shopee to set up its branch in Taiwan. In response, the Investment Commission said they will investigate and if it is backed by Chinese capital, they will demand the company to withdraw its investment.


Taobao Taiwan officially began operation on Wednesday. It's been advertising its 7-day return and exchange policy. The new e-commerce platform offers close to 20 million items produced in Taiwan and abroad.

The website is in traditional Chinese and the price tags are in New Taiwan Dollars. The local consumers can complete purchases with credit cards and pick up their deliveries at convenience stores near their homes.

Some legislators said that, the Alibaba Group, the conglomerate behind Taobao, has adopted the same business model as the Singapore-based Shopee to set up its branch in Taiwan. The legislator claimed that the business model allows the e-commerce platform to control the supply chain and the market, at the same time limiting the profit margin of vendors in Taiwan. This means that a company from China will have the ability to completely control the supply chain.

If Taobao controls the supply of all the products and selling rights, it is like same control that China has over Taiwan's tourism industry. We are calling on e-commerce professionals to beware of the situation.

The legislator presented records showing that the Alibaba Group has authorized Credaro, a company based in the U.K. to register in Taiwan. The company was set up in May, and it has a capital of only 1 U.S. dollar. Its registration showed that the company is administered by other businesses in U.K,'s overseas Cayman Islands, which implied that the company has been controlled by other board members.

We have begun investigating the data of Credaro. If it's supported by capital from China, we will handle the matter according to law.

The Investment Commission said that if its investigation reveals that Taobao Taiwan is backed by Chinese capital, the government will demand the company to withdraw its investment.



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淘寶台灣行銷長暨發言人 林雅雯表示：「繁體中文介面台幣計價，然後呢，有本地消費者，最喜歡的這個超商取貨付款，還有直接刷信用卡就可以消費。」

不過有立委質疑，中國阿里巴巴，依循"蝦皮購物"模式，來台插旗，認為藉此模式，供應上游貨源、下游市場，綑綁台灣小賣家利潤，形成如同旅遊產業的"中國一條龍養套殺"。

民進黨立委 余宛如表示：「如果一但淘寶掌控上游的貨源，控制你的銷售權，這完全就是陷入到台灣，就是這個複製中國對台灣旅遊業，養套殺一條龍的一個問題，我必須得要沉重的呼籲，這不可不慎。」

立委拿出調查資料表示，阿里巴巴授權的英商克雷達投資公司，今年五月才成立，其登記資本額，只有一美元，是簡易成立的公司，並且登記資料記載其公司上層結構就在開曼，多層次控股架構，明顯在隱藏背後實質控股的藏鏡人。

投審會發言人 楊淑玲表示：「我們今天馬上已經跟相關機關的調閱，英商克雷達的相關資料，那如果說他背後，有相關的陸資的問題的話，我們一定會依法的來處理。」

投審會強調，淘寶在台分公司，如查出確實有"中資"來源，依規定最重可要求撤資。