Survey Finds 90% Of Beijing Netizens Against New Rules For Online Shops

In response to a survey launched by Sina.com on the new rules for online shops that went into effect on August 1, 2008 in Beijing, about 90% netizens said they are against the new rules and over 80% of them thought the rules would discourage online sellers.

By July 30, 2008, 16,187 netizens participated the survey, of which 14,160 said they did not agree with the new online shop rules launched by the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce, accounting for 87.48% of the total votes; 1,631 said they are for the new rule, accounting for 10.08%; and 396 took the middle course, accounting for 2.45%.

For the question of whether the new rules will discourage the development of China's e-commerce, 8,319 said yes, accounting for 85.3%; 859 said the new rules will be beneficial for the development of e-commerce, accounting for 8.81%; and 574 took the middle course and said further observation would be needed, accounting for 5.89%.

At the beginning of July 2008, the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce issued a management regulation on the supervision over e-commerce, which says from August 1, 2008, profit-making online shops from Beijing must get a business license before starting operation. The new rule has set off a wave of discussion on its advantages and disadvantages over the past month.