China closed to outside Internet firms: eBay chief

October 18, 2011

China has essentially put up a wall when it comes to non-Chinese Internet firms, says eBay CEO

Enlarge

The head of global online auction powerhouse eBay said that China has essentially put up a wall when it comes to non-Chinese Internet firms.

The head of global online auction powerhouse eBay said that China has essentially put up a wall when it comes to non-Chinese Internet firms.

"The domestic China market for Internet-based service is, in essence, closed," chief executive John Donahoe said during an interview at a Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco.

"The Chinese government is not going to allow a non-Chinese Internet company to succeed in China...it is a weapon in national security."

Opportunity, from eBay's perspective, lies in connecting China to the rest of the world.

EBay this year has seen more than $6 billion in goods sold by Chinese sellers to people outside China and is a marketplace for people in that country seeking to import luxury items, according to Donahoe.

While eBay is keenly interested in the booming China market, regulations there would have to ease for the California-based Internet firm to launch a version of its service there, he said.

(c) 2011 AFP

Filter


Move the slider to adjust rank threshold, so that you can hide some of the comments.


Display comments: newest first

Squirrel
Oct 18, 2011

Rank: 4 / 5 (1)
Smart China, dumb US.
Beijing knows the game is to talk "free trade" and do anything but--deny ebay a fair hand on its own ground but use ebay to export even more of its stuff.
Rank not rated yet
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Browser wars flare in mobile space

The browser wars are heating up again, but this time the fight is for dominance of the mobile Internet.

Technology / Software

created 12 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 3

Probability of contamination from severe nuclear reactor accidents is higher than expected: study

Catastrophic nuclear accidents such as the core meltdowns in Chernobyl and Fukushima are more likely to happen than previously assumed. Based on the operating hours of all civil nuclear reactors and the number ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created May 22, 2012 | popularity 3.6 / 5 (22) | comments 56 | with audio podcast

HyperSolar shows dirty water no barrier to power world

(Phys.org) -- The Santa Barbara, California, company, HyperSolar, is set to transparently share the ups and downs of its research experiences toward the company’s ultimate vision, successfully producing ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created May 24, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (16) | comments 17 | with audio podcast report

SpotterRF debuts Radar Backpack Kit (w/ Video)

(Phys.org) -- SpotterRF has announced a special radar backpack kit designed to enhance situational awareness for soldiers on the ground. The company says its special radar is designed for warfighters as part ...

Technology / Hi Tech & Innovation

created May 26, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 13 | with audio podcast report

Tesla to launch electric sedan in US on June 22

Tesla Motors said Tuesday it would begin deliveries of "the world's first premium electric sedan" on June 22, slightly ahead of schedule.

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created May 22, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (12) | comments 18


Nvidia trumpets Tegra 3 phone design wins for 2012

(Phys.org) -- Nvidia’s competitive war paint has a name, Tegra 3. On the heels of Nvidia announcements about lowering costs of its Tegra 3 processors and Nvidia-enabled tablets running Android Ice Cream ...

'Unzipped' carbon nanotubes could help energize fuel cells, batteries

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes riddled with defects and impurities on the outside could replace some of the expensive platinum catalysts used in fuel cells and metal-air batteries, according to scientists at ...

T cells 'hunt' parasites like animal predators seek prey, study shows

By pairing an intimate knowledge of immune-system function with a deep understanding of statistical physics, a cross-disciplinary team at the University of Pennsylvania has arrived at a surprising finding: T cells use a movement ...

Computer model used to pinpoint prime materials for efficient carbon capture

When power plants begin capturing their carbon emissions to reduce greenhouse gases – and to most in the electric power industry, it's a question of when, not if – it will be an expensive undertaking.

Change in developmental timing was crucial in the evolutionary shift from dinosaurs to birds: study

At first glance, it's hard to see how a common house sparrow and a Tyrannosaurus Rex might have anything in common. After all, one is a bird that weighs less than an ounce, and the other is a dinosaur that ...

Land and sea species differ in climate change response: study

(Phys.org) -- Marine and terrestrial species will likely differ in their responses to climate warming, new research by Simon Fraser University and Australia’s University of Tasmania has found.