Taipei, April 17 -- Chinese e-commerce giant Taobao has been fined NTD 1.2 million (USD 36,900) by Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs for breaching local regulations through unauthorised advertising practices, as scrutiny intensifies over China's economic influence and suspected use of Taiwan as a conduit for goods amid broader geopolitical tensions, Taipei Times reported.

The Ministry said that Taobao's promotional activities, including prominent advertisements placed in Taipei metro stations last November, exceeded the platform's officially approved business scope. It ordered the company to make necessary corrections within the first half of this year, warning that failure to comply could lead to the revocation of its license to ope...