<p>HONG KONG — China’s market regulator said Monday it has launched a probe into suspected monopolistic behavior by food delivery firm Meituan. </p>
<p>The investigation comes amid increased scrutiny of internet companies suspected of anti-competitive practices. </p>
<p>The State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement that it was looking into Meituan’s policies, including exclusivity arrangements known as “pick one of two.” </p>
<p>Such practices are common in China, where e-commerce providers sometimes force merchants to exclusively sell their goods and services on just their internet platform. </p>
<p>Meituan, which competes with Alibaba’s Ele.me food delivery platform in China, said in a statement posted on the microblogging platform Weibo that it will actively cooperate with authorities to improve compliance and protect consumers’ rights. </p>
<p>The company’s various businesses were “operating normally," it said. </p>
<p>The probe into Meituan follows an investigation of Alibaba, China’s biggest e-commerce company, last year for anti-competitive practices. Regulators fined Alibaba a record $2.8 billion earlier this month. </p>
<p>Alibaba’s financial affiliate Ant Group was ordered to restructure as a financial holdings company and abide by more stringent rules as part of an overhaul after its record initial public offering was scuppered days before its stock market debut last year.</p>
<p>Officials recently ordered 34 internet companies — including games giant Tencent Holdings and e-commerce firm Pinduoduo — to rectify any anti-competitive practices within a month.</p>
<p>The government released anti-monopoly guidelines in February aimed at ending practices such as exclusivity contracts and the heavy use of subsidies to gain market share and squeeze out competitors.</p>
<p>Last week, Meituan raised nearly $10 billion in a sale of convertible bonds and additional shares, with plans to invest those funds in developing and expanding delivery technologies. </p>
