PDD Holdings Expands Presence in China's 'City of the Future' Amid Regulatory Scrutiny

The operator of budget online marketplaces Temu and Pinduoduo is ramping up its commitment in a state-backed development zone – dubbed a “city of the future” in official discourse – months after the e-commerce group was hit by the heaviest penalty in a record food-safety crackdown and accused by regulators of obstructing enforcement.

PDD Holdings had more than 600 employees at its unit in the Xiongan New Area by the end of June, making it the development zone’s largest privately owned internet company, according to reporting by the Chinese media outlet Jiemian. The roles include middle-office operations, data analysis and quality-control specialists.

PDD registered a new entity in Xiongan in late May with 500 million yuan (US$73.7 million) in capital and has since moved quickly to publicise its commitment to the area.

The company has launched a hiring drive aimed at creating more than 5,000 jobs locally. In mid-June, PDD said its first 150 employees had completed onboarding, with most coming from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The move aligns with Xiongan’s official role as a key site for absorbing Beijing’s non-capital functions as the state seeks to integrate the regional economy.

PDD’s executive president, Zhu Zheng, met local officials in Xiongan in mid-June and signed the Digital Service Strategic Co-operation Framework Agreement, according to the Xiongan government website. A few days later, PDD bought an office building in Xiongan from the Power Construction Corporation of China, which marked PDD’s first disclosed property purchase there. The company was expecting to move employees into the building by the end of July.

PDD’s highly visible commitment to Xiongan follows a period of severe tension with Chinese regulators.