• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
China

China’s ‘Amazon of services’ says it welcomes Beijing’s stricter oversight

By
Eamon Barrett
Eamon Barrett
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Eamon Barrett
Eamon Barrett
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 1, 2020, 6:58 AM ET

Our mission to make business better is fueled by readers like you. To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today.

China’s largest service-on-demand company, Meituan, reported 28.8% revenue growth for the third quarter this year compared to the same period in 2019 as China’s consumer spending stages a post-pandemic return and as it faces a new regulatory threat from Beijing.

“Overall, with COVID-19 well controlled and the economy firmly back on track in China, growth across all of our main businesses accelerated in the quarter on a sequential basis,” Meituan founder and CEO Wang Xing said in a statement Monday. The company’s revenue totaled $5.4 billion in Q3, ahead of analysts’ expectations, according to Refinitiv. It earned roughly $1 billion in profit.

Meituan began life as a Groupon-like firm in 2010, before expanding into food delivery, shared bike rentals, tickets sales, and other services. The company, sometimes dubbed China’s “Amazon of services” for its huge presence and wide range of offerings, still earns the majority of its revenue from food delivery—totaling $3.15 billion in the third quarter.

Having recovered from a virus-induced downturn, the $220 billion Hong Kong–listed services company is now contending with the potentially larger threat of government regulation, which Beijing proposed last month to subdue China’s runaway tech giants.

China’s financial regulator, the State Administration for Market Regulation, issued draft proposals for new rules to regulate the country’s tech giants on Nov. 10. Media reports speculate that Alibaba founder Jack Ma was the catalyst. The bombastic entrepreneur made the mistake of openly criticizing China’s regulators, accusing them of operating with a “pawnshop mentality” on stage at an industry conference.

Ma was soon summoned to a closed-door meeting with the SAMR in early November, days before Alibaba’s financial affiliate, Ant Group, was due to launch the world’s largest IPO, tipped to raise $35 billion. Regulators pulled the plug on the mobile payments provider’s IPO the day before its launch.

Beijing’s new rules on online lending curtailed Ant’s IPO but, a week later, the government released wider-ranging antitrust regulations, tempering the tech sector. Collectively, the threat of new regulations cost China’s tech players over $250 billion in market value in just two days.

Between Nov. 9—the day before Beijing revealed the new draft regulations—and Nov. 11, Meituan’s share price plummeted 20%, from $43 to $35. As of Tuesday, shares were trading at $37.

Since then, China’s leading tech executives have crept forward to laud the effectiveness of regulation. Tencent president Martin Lau told investors in a call last month that stricter regulation does “reflect the new realities” as “technology companies become bigger and more important to the economy.”

Last week Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang, Jack Ma’s successor, said the regulations were “timely and necessary,” as he spoke at China’s World Internet Conference.

Meituan’s Wang Xing is the latest to welcome more government oversight.

“We think the new antitrust consultation paper is supportive of the healthy development of the Internet….and helps promote fair competition within the industry,” Wang said on a call with analysts Monday. “As Internet platforms become bigger and more important to the economy, regulatory frameworks will also evolve.”

About the Author
By Eamon Barrett
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in International

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
Politics
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
19 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
5 days ago
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
Innovation
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
Oil markets could be a month away from the moment of truth. Brace for a 'non-linear' price spike and panic buying, analysts warn
Energy
Oil markets could be a month away from the moment of truth. Brace for a 'non-linear' price spike and panic buying, analysts warn
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
22 hours ago
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
Future of Work
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
By Jacqueline MunisMay 16, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.