Softbank, China’s Alibaba discuss e-commerce platform

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Softbank Corp and the Alibaba Group are in talks to form a partnership to jointly promote e-commerce between China and Japan. Alibaba group’s e-commerce unit, Taobao, and Softbank-owned Yahoo Japan Corp will help merchants, mainly small and medium companies, sell goods through each others’ platforms.

A small business that sells goods through Taobao in China would have the option of reaching Japanese customers through the Yahoo Japan site under the agreement.

Softbank itself has a 33% stake in Alibaba Group and Softbank chief executive Masayoshi Son sits on Alibaba Group’s board of directors. The idea emerged in a meeting between Son and Alibaba Group Chairman Jack Ma as they were discussing ideas to promote job creation by small and medium-sized companies in China and Japan. Such companies make up the bulk of Alibaba’s customer base in China.