(Yicai Global) Nov. 24 -- Kaola, a cross-border e-commerce platform operated by Chinese internet giant NetEase, Inc. [NASDAQ:NTES], is expected to bring independent financing and possibly conduct an independent initial public offering (IPO), said NetEase executive Yang Zhaoxuan during a press briefing on the firm's third-quarter financial report.

NetEase is open-minded on the e-commerce business and will introduce external strategic shareholders to Kaola as appropriate, Yang said.

Kaola recently agreed a partnership with CITIC Bank [SHA:601998], a Beijing-based commercial bank, to issue co-branded credit cards.

The platform, set up in 2015, initially focused on popular consumer goods such as milk powder, diapers and cosmetics, and slashed costs by locking in product sources and warehouses for tax-free goods. NetEase's e-commerce business is currently in a phase of high investment and growth. Operating costs related to e-commerce reached CNY3.29 billion (USD499.21 million), a year on year increase of 137.8 percent, the third quarter results show.

Kaola plans to diversify its product-range and bring more brands to the Chinese market in line with increasing customer needs, said chief executive Zhang Lei in April. She also promised to secure orders worth EUR3 billion in Europe this year.

Other examples of NetEase businesses conducting independent financing include music platform NetEase Cloud Music, which completed A-round financing worth CNY750 million in April.