(Yicai Global) July 27 -- China's Ministry of Commerce is investigating the acquisition of Uber China by onetime rival ride-hailing firm DiDi Chuxing due to anti-monopoly concerns, Gao Feng, a ministry spokesman, said at a news briefing today.

The ministry's Anti-Monopoly Bureau has arranged talks with DiDi Chuxing repeatedly and is looking into the deal in accordance with the "Anti-Monopoly Law of the PRC," "Provisions of the State Council on Thresholds for Prior Notification of Concentrations of Undertakings," "Measures on Prior Notification of Concentrations of Undertakings," and the "Interim Measures on the Investigation of Failure to File for Concentration of Undertakings," he said.

Online taxi services represent a new part of the internet industry, and they involve rapidly changing technologies, products and business models, Gao said. The ministry will use seminars, field studies and third-party economic analyses to comprehensively analyze the impact of the transaction on competition and industry development. The Ministry of Commerce will encourage innovation and scientific advancement in the sector, while maintaining fair competition in the market.