China Opens Antitrust Investigation of Didi-Uber Deal
China’s Commerce Ministry says it received questions over legality of ride-hailing deal
BEIJING—China’s Ministry of Commerce said Friday it has opened an investigation into Didi Chuxing Technology Co.’s acquisition of Uber Technologies Inc.’s China business, after it received questions over whether the ride-hailing deal complied with the nation’s antitrust law.
The commerce ministry’s antitrust unit has already held two meetings with Didi and requested information on the deal as well as the reason the company didn’t apply for antitrust review, a ministry spokesman said at a press conference Friday, according to a transcript on its website.
The ministry spokesman didn’t release a clear timeline of the investigation.
Didi didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment Friday. When it unveiled the deal last month, the ride-hailing company said it didn’t believe UberChina’s revenue met the threshold for an antitrust review.