Beijing said Wednesday the European Union lacks jurisdiction to investigate Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com over its bid for major German electronics retail group Ceconomy, warning against any cooperation with the probe.
The EU announced in May that it had opened an in-depth investigation into JD.com's bid on suspicion it was boosted by state subsidies.
The probe came as Brussels toughened its stance towards Beijing to shield businesses from what it deems unfair foreign competition.
China's justice ministry said on Wednesday the EU's "cross-border investigation practices" against Chinese entities "constitute improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures".
"No organisation or individual may execute or assist in the execution of such improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures," the ministry said in an online statement.
The European Commission, the 27-nation bloc's competition regulator, said in May that a preliminary investigation indicated "that JD.com may have received foreign subsidies distorting the EU internal market".
The probe would assess whether such subsidies allowed the Chinese firm to offer a high price for Ceconomy, distorting the outcome of the acquisition process, Brussels said.
It would also look into whether the aid improved the competitive position of the merged entity after the transaction.
JD.com has said the acquisition would not be financed by subsidies and denied receiving any aid in relation to the transaction "that might give rise to a distortion of competition in the EU".
isk/ami
JD.com
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