'마윈 정부 비판에' 앤트그룹 홍콩•상하이 상장 무기한 연기<br /><br />The much anticipated public listing of China's Ant Group, co-founded by Jack Ma, the billionaire founder of e-commerce platform Alibaba, has been halted abruptly.<br />This comes as Ma bluntly criticized the Chinese Communist Party and the country's financial system.<br />Kim Hyo-sun reports.<br />What was supposed to be the world's largest initial public stock offering has been halted at the last minute.<br />This comes as Chinese authorities suspended the IPO of Ant Group,... a Chinese financial technology company that was set to go public on Thursday.<br />The IPO was expected to raise some 37 billion U.S. dollars and boost the company's market value to over 300 billion dollars.<br />However, the Shanghai Stock Exchange said Tuesday that it had postponed the company's listing,... due to "major issues" without elaborating.<br />According to Ant Group,... its IPO has also been suspended in Hong Kong.<br />Such an abrupt move comes on the heels of a meeting held between regulators and the company's executives including its billionaire co-founder Jack Ma,... who is also the founder of Alibaba, Ant's affiliate.<br />Just over a week ago,... while addressing a financial conference,... Ma publicly criticized Chinese regulators for undermining innovation by being too risk averse.<br />In China, analysts interpret Beijing's latest move as a slap down for Ma,... who wanted Ant to be treated as technology company rather than a highly regulated financial institution.<br />China's state-backed Economic Daily newspaper, however, described the decision as one that protects the interests of investors.<br />Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.<br />
