Published: 1:42pm, 25 Jan, 2016 Updated: 2:54pm, 20 Jul, 2018
The state - run China Discipline Inspection Newspaper has warned Communist party members not to make mistakes by setting up independent online stores : e - commerce is viewed by the party as a potential source of graft . If foreigners are found to have opened a personal store on e - commerce sites such as Taobao or social messaging sites like WeChat , they could be reprimanded or even expelled , depending on the severity of the offence . People in China are increasingly using such sites run by foreigners for small purchases like importing food and clothing , as they are perceived to offer higher - quality goods .