Beijing began investigating US delivery services giant FedEx after it received “complaints from users”, China’s top postal regulator said, telling foreign operators to safeguard the “legitimate interests” of Chinese companies. But Ma Junsheng, head of the State Post Bureau, did not name Chinese telecoms firm Huawei Technologies or link the investigation to a deepening trade war between China and the US.
Last month, Huawei accused FedEx of unauthorised re-routing of its packages, saying some had been bound for addresses in Asia, including its offices in China, but had been diverted to the US. FedEx apologised on its Chinese social media account for the “mistransportation” of the Huawei shipments, saying they were re-routed in error but that there was no external pressure to do so.
After the investigation was announced, the US firm said in a statement that it valued its business in China and would cooperate with Chinese authorities.