Chinese ecommerce platforms to end refund-without-returns amid weak economy
Chinese authorities have asked
e-commerce platform
operators to stop insisting on merchants refunding customers without requiring the return of goods, to alleviate financial pressure on merchants, two people familiar with the matter said.
The government met operators including
PDD Holdings
and concluded the practice must end by July, from which point only merchants will be able to initiate a refund, the people said, without specifying dates.
The aim is to prevent merchants' situation becoming tenuous during times of economic slowdown, said one of the people, who declined to be identified because the information is not public.
PDD and peer JD.com declined to comment.
Alibaba Group
and the State Administration for Market Regulation did not respond to requests for comment.
In July, hundreds of people gathered at an office of PDD platform Temu in southern China to protest against its refund policy. Authorities including the market regulator and commerce ministry subsequently ordered PDD to revise the policy.
This year, government bodies including the market regulator and the National Development and Reform Commission have increased criticism of what they dub "involution-style" competition. In March, during the annual parliamentary session, the phrase "comprehensive rectification of 'involution-style' competition" was incorporated into the Government Work Report.
The refund-without-returns policy was designed to benefit both buyers and sellers for some types of order. PDD began to expand the policy in 2021, prompting rivals to follow suit.
Merchants of goods as varied as clothes and household appliances have reported the policy as detrimental to their bottom line as they risk losing both money and goods.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
30 minutes ago
- The Hindu
U.S., China begin key trade talks in London
China and the United States began a new round of trade talks in London on Monday (June 9, 2025), Beijing's state media reported, as the world's two biggest economies seek to shore up a shaky truce after bruising tit-for-tat tariffs. The two sides are meeting in the historic Lancaster House, run by the U.K. Foreign Office, following a first round of talks in Geneva last month. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng was again heading the team in London. Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported the start of the talks. Also read | Trump calls China's Xi tough, 'hard to make a deal with' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are leading the U.S. delegation, President Donald Trump said Friday. "The meeting should go very well," Mr. Trump said on his Truth Social platform. His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told Fox News on Sunday: "We want China and the United States to continue moving forward with the agreement that was struck in Geneva." While the U.K. government reiterated that it was not involved in the discussions, a spokesperson said: "We are a nation that champions free trade." U.K. authorities "have always been clear that a trade war is in nobody's interests, so we welcome these talks", the spokesperson added. Rare earths The talks in London come just a few days after Mr. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping finally held their first publicly announced telephone talks since the Republican returned to the White House. Mr. Trump said Thursday's call reached a "very positive conclusion". Mr. Xi was quoted by Xinhua as saying "correcting the course of the big ship of Sino-U.S. relations requires us to steer well and set the direction". Tensions between the two nations have soared, with Mr. Trump accusing Beijing of violating a tariff de-escalation deal reached in Geneva in mid-May. "We need China to comply with their side of the deal. And so that's what the trade team will be discussing tomorrow," Ms. Leavitt said Sunday. A key issue will be Beijing's shipments of rare earths — crucial to a range of goods including electric vehicle batteries and which have been a bone of contention for some time. "Rare earth shipments from China to the US have slowed since President Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at trading group XTB. "The US wants these shipments to be reinstated, while China wants the US to rethink immigration curbs on students, restrictions on access to advanced technology including microchips, and to make it easier for Chinese tech providers to access US consumers," she added. In April, Trump introduced sweeping worldwide tariffs that targeted China most heavily. At one point, Washington hit Beijing with additional levies of 145 percent on its goods, prompting China to respond with tariffs reaching 125% on US goods. After two days of talks in Switzerland, both sides agreed to slash the eye-watering tariffs for 90 days, but key differences remain -- especially over China's rare earth export restrictions. The impact was reflected in the latest official export data released Monday in Beijing. Exports to the United States fell 12.7%in May from the previous month, with China shipping $28.8 billion worth of goods. This was down from $33 billion in April, according to Beijing's General Administration of Customs. 'Green channel' Throughout its talks with Washington, China has also launched discussions with other trading partners — including Japan and South Korea — to try to build a united front to counter Trump's tariffs. On Thursday, Beijing and Canada agreed to regularise their channels of communication after strained ties. Beijing has also proposed establishing a "green channel" to ease exports of rare earths to the European Union, and fast-tracking approval of some export licenses. China is expected to host a summit with the EU in July, marking 50 years since Beijing and Brussels established diplomatic ties. According to a spokesperson for Starmer, Britain's finance minister Rachel Reeves took advantage of the talks in London to meet with her US counterpart Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Sunday.
Economic Times
32 minutes ago
- Economic Times
How China's craze for Pakistani donkeys is crushing the cash-strapped country's poor
Ejiao demand fuels price hike Live Events Livelihood at stake Chinese interest and ethical concerns What about meat concerns? (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Abdul Rasheed is in trouble. Last week, his donkey named Tiger, his only source of income, died in an accident. Without a donkey cart, Rasheed has no way to earn money. But buying a new donkey is now a big problem. Prices have shot up to as high as Rs 2 lakh in Karachi and other parts of Pakistan, far more than the Rs 30,000 he paid for Tiger eight years is not alone. Many other poor workers who rely on donkeys for their daily earnings are facing the same crisis. The reason? A growing demand from China, which uses donkey skin to make a traditional medicine called ejiao. It is believed to help with fatigue, improve immunity, reduce tumours, and treat ejiao industry has seen a huge boom. With not enough donkeys at home, Chinese buyers are turning to Pakistan, where donkeys are cheaper and easier to per a PTI report, Dr Guo Jing Feng, who runs a medical centre in Karachi, said China's need for donkey hides is only going to increase. 'This is now a global trade,' he explained, 'and China's demand is much higher than its supply.'Even in the Lyari market, Pakistan's biggest donkey market, prices have jumped. Rasheed says the cheapest healthy donkey he could find was Rs 1.55 lakh. 'How can I afford that? Even if I somehow buy one, what if it dies before I recover my investment?'Donkeys are vital for many industries in Pakistan, from brick kilns and agriculture to transport and even laundry services. Workers like Samad use them to carry heavy loads across rough roads, earning Rs 1,500–2,000 a day, half of which goes into feeding and caring for the around 5.9 million working donkeys, Pakistan is home to the third largest donkey population in the world, after Ethiopia and April 2025, a Chinese delegation met with Pakistan's food security minister to discuss setting up donkey farms. The idea is to use local labour for care and management, which could help Pakistan's not everyone agrees. Dr Asal Khan, a senior official from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said some Chinese companies had shown interest in exporting donkeys, but 'we are not allowing that to happen.'Donkey traders say some Chinese buyers are even willing to purchase weak animals just for their hides. In one case, a group paid Rs 40,000 each for 14 unhealthy issues also remain. Saleem Reza of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce says there must be strict rules. 'Donkey meat is haram for us,' he said. 'The government must ensure donkeys are not slaughtered in Pakistan and their meat is not sold illegally.'He added that proper factories are needed to manage hide and meat processing, to make sure nothing enters local markets from PTI
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
44 minutes ago
- First Post
Who's calling? Trump picks up calls from unknown numbers, vulnerable to scams: Report
President Trump's reported use of his personal phone to answer unknown calls, along with aides relying on unsecured devices, has exposed his administration to spoofing, impersonation, and foreign surveillance, according to a report read more President Donald Trump's reported habit of answering unknown callers on his personal cell phone, along with top aides frequently using unsecured personal devices, is sparking renewed concerns among cybersecurity experts and federal officials. According to an Axios report, citing The Atlantic, the practice has left the Trump administration vulnerable to basic security threats such as spoofed calls, impersonation attempts, and foreign surveillance. While there is no public evidence that Trump has fallen victim to such schemes, federal investigations and intelligence reports suggest the risk is real and growing, added the report. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ongoing investigations According to The Wall Street Journal report, federal authorities are currently probing a scheme in which someone spoofed the phone number of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles to impersonate her in calls to senators, governors, and CEOs. The impersonator's identity and intent remain unclear. Meanwhile, a Bloomberg investigation found that Chinese hackers gained access to US telecom networks as early as summer 2023, a full year earlier than previously disclosed. That access, according to The New York Times, was exploited by a China-backed cyber group known as 'Salt Typhoon' to monitor communications involving Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other high-ranking officials. Adding to the concerns, former national security adviser Mike Waltz, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and others in the administration have been embroiled in separate controversies related to their use of the encrypted messaging app Signal on personal devices, bypassing official communication protocols. History of lax security Trump's disregard for secure communications isn't new. During his first term, he carried two phones — a secure one for calls and a less secure one for social media, according to Politico. Despite security officials urging him to replace the latter device monthly, reports suggest he sometimes went months without checks. It remains unclear how much of that protocol has changed during Trump's current term. 'I think people gave up on that years ago,' a current adviser told The Atlantic. In a written statement, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung declined to detail any specific security measures, saying, 'President Trump is the most transparent and accessible President in American history.' 'World leaders, heads of state, elected officials, and business titans all reach out to him because they know America is back under President Trump's leadership,' Axios quoted Cheung as saying. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He also took aim at Trump's predecessor, adding, 'Joe Biden was hidden and sheltered by his handlers because he was a total embarrassment and bumbling idiot during his time in office.' The bigger picture Since returning to office, the Trump administration has faced mounting criticism over its handling of digital security, with experts warning that convenience is being prioritised over protection, reported Axios. The administration's widespread use of personal devices and encrypted messaging apps like Signal has raised red flags, especially as traditional security protocols appear to be sidelined. Reports indicate that the federal cybersecurity apparatus has also taken a hit, with nearly a third of staff at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) having departed. Concerns have been compounded by the actions of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has championed several controversial technology initiatives. One such effort involves deploying a still-buggy AI tool designed to comb through sensitive government data—sparking fears about vulnerabilities and potential misuse, added the report. The broader threat landscape is also shifting rapidly. The FBI recently warned that artificial intelligence tools are now being used to clone voices using just seconds of audio, making it easier than ever for scammers or bad actors to impersonate senior officials. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Spoofing phone numbers has become a low-cost, easily accessible tactic thanks to free apps, a method already exploited in a scheme impersonating Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles. These developments underscore a troubling reality: security is increasingly being compromised in favour of speed and direct access, creating new openings for deception, surveillance, and manipulation at the highest levels of government. With inputs from agencies
