E-commerce giant JD.com denies that founder Richard Liu and wife have moved to the US from China
- The company has issued an online statement rejecting the claims, along with a lawyer’s letter warning of legal actions against rumour mongers
- The Cyberspace Administration of China has vowed to quash online misinformation regarding entrepreneurs in a bid to shore up private-sector confidence
The Beijing-based firm wrote on its Weibo account on Monday that gossip circulating on social media, alleging that the couple had moved to the US or spent more than US$100 million there to buy luxury homes, were fabricated. It added that the company had reported the case to Chinese police.
In a letter attached to that post, a lawyer at Beijing-based law firm Jincheng Tongda & Neal, which represents the couple, warned that legal actions would be taken against any parties spreading the “false information”, which had “seriously damaged the reputation of Liu and Zhang”.
The statement comes amid efforts by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the top internet regulator, to quash online misinformation regarding private entrepreneurs and their businesses, in a bid to shore up private-sector confidence.
Any attempt by a Chinese private entrepreneur to transfer assets to the US or apply for residence permits in foreign countries is usually interpreted by Chinese netizens as a sign of disloyalty to the country.
