(Yicai Global) Feb. 21 -- Shenzhen Hasee Computer is to haul JD.Com into court claiming CNY338 million (USD48 million), alleging the online retail giant is dragging its feet on paying money owed for goods, it announced on China's Twitter-like Weibo social media platform yesterday.  

JD's computer and digital division promptly fired back on the same platform, asserting Hasee had breached their contract.

The e-commerce behemoth also acknowledged it had indeed not settled the payment, but stated this was a temporary measure taken because of the violation of their agreement, it said without going into deals as to the computer maker's supposed misdeeds. Yicai Global has contacted JD for comment, but has not thus far received a reply. 

"Large companies should vigorously strive to support small and medium ones and not delay payment on goods, and thus not cause small and medium firms to fall into difficulties," Wu Haijun, Hasee Computer's board chairman, wrote on Weibo on Feb. 18, the day the suit was brought.

The Beijing court where the suit was filed has "not yet docketed the case for the time being," it said.

JD is the most influential retail platform in the computer and smartphone market. The company took a 75 percent slice of retail laptop sales in the third quarter, the Chinese Association of Market Information and Research announced, and its share of brand-name desktop computer retail transactions was 88 percent. 

Hasee has first showcased several of its products on JD's platform, more than 50 of which are now on sale in its flagship store which JD runs, a best-seller being the Zhanshen (God of War) Z7-CT5NA gaming laptop stickered at CNY6,199 (USD882), which has garnered more than 130,000 ratings.

An early pioneer in China's personal computer market, Hasee formed in 1995. The Shenzhen-based company produces customizable computers. It has over 3,000 employees in China and sales offices and service centers in 50 cities that support a network of more than 3,000 retailers nationwide. It entered international markets in 2005 and now does business in more than 110 countries and regions, information on its website shows.

Editor: Ben Armour