试听67秒热点英语新闻4：阿里巴巴被罚182.28亿元 反垄断认定有哪些突破？

Alibaba Fined $2.8 Billion in Landmark China Antitrust Ruling

阿里巴巴被罚182.28亿元 反垄断认定有哪些突破？

shun

v. 避开, 回避

Persistently avoid, ignore, or reject (someone or something) through antipathy or caution.

shunning n. 回避

例句

More discriminating visitors now tend to shun the area.

更多有鉴别能力的游客现在趋向于避开此地。

Her aversion to alcohol consumption caused her to shun all social gatherings where such beverages would be served.

对酒精的厌恶使她避开所有可能有酒的社交场所。

hefty

adj. 健壮的，有力的，大量的

Large, heavy, and powerful.

heftily adv. 有力地，大量地

词组

hefty fine 巨额罚款

hefty penalty 严厉处分

例句

He gave the door a hefty kick.

他猛踢了一下门。

They sold it easily and made a hefty profit.

他们毫不费力地卖掉了它，得到了一笔可观的利润。

anti-monopoly

adj. 反垄断

Opposing, prohibiting, or restricting monopolies.

monopoly n. 垄断

monopolize v. 垄断, 独占

monopolistic adj. 垄断的

词组

anti-monopoly probe 反垄断调查

take anti-monopoly measures 采取反垄断措施

例句

How to enforce anti-monopoly policy efficiently is an important problem to face.   

如何合理高效地执行反垄断政策将是今后面临的重要问题。

Since 1997, Microsoft has been involved in a series of anti-monopoly lawsuits in the US, South Korea and European Union.   

自1997年至今，微软曾先后身陷美、韩以及欧盟等地的一系列反垄断案。

Following a four-month investigation by the State Administration of Market Regulation, the regulator concluded that the e-commerce titan had unfairly squeezed out competition among online retail platforms by forcing vendors to choose between its services and those of its rivals. It seems like the inquiry mainly focused on a practice known as picking sides. This describes how Alibaba forces merchants on its e-commerce platforms to work exclusively with it and shun its competitors. Two of its e-commerce competitors, JD.com Inc. and Pinduoduo have long complained that the practice unfairly cuts them out of potential deals with the same vendors.

And that’s not the only thing that the investigators dug up: the probe also found that the tech giant had been blocking the free flow of goods and services, stifled innovation among platforms, meanwhile also infringing the rights and interests of online sellers, and harming consumer interests.

And what do we need to know about this record fine?

Well, on Saturday, China’s market regulator said it had slapped a hefty fine of just over 18 billion yuan or nearly $3 billion on Alibaba in a landmark antitrust ruling.  The penalty is three times as high as China’s previous record antitrust fine. As a reminder, back in 2013, Beijing fined the American chipmaker Qualcomm just over 6 billion yuan.

According to a statement released on Saturday, Alibaba said it accepted the fine with sincerity, adding that the penalty quote “reflects the regulators’ thoughtful and normative expectations toward our industry’s development.” Endquote.

So, what does this tell us about China’s anti-monopoly crackdown?

Well, it seems to be gaining momentum! After all, given the severity of this punishment against Alibaba, this case seems to be shaping up to a seismic moment in the state’s quest to rein in monopolistic antics by online platforms.

And, of course, the regulator’s clampdown on Alibaba comes amid an extensive government cleanup of monopolistic practices on the internet, particularly in the e-commerce and fintech sectors.

Back in December, the Communist Party’s top decision-making body pledged to strengthen antitrust efforts in 2021 to curb what the Politburo has described as so-called “disorderly capital expansion.”

On top of that, the government is also in the process of thrashing out changes to the Anti-monopoly Law. This law actually came into effect in 2008, but has drawn criticism for being ill-suited to combatting abuses in China’s fast-growing online sector. And that’s especially when it comes to restraining big-tech companies operating sprawling platforms with vast influence over businesses and their patrons.