By Julie Zhu

HONG KONG (Reuters) – U.S. regulators have chosen e-commerce large Alibaba (NYSE:) Group Holding Ltd and different U.S.-listed Chinese language corporations for audit inspections beginning subsequent month, three sources acquainted with the matter mentioned.

The transfer follows Friday’s landmark audit deal between Beijing and Washington permitting U.S. regulators to vet accounting companies in mainland China and Hong Kong, doubtlessly ending a long-running dispute that threatened in addition greater than 200 Chinese language corporations from U.S. inventory exchanges.

Alibaba has been notified that it’s among the many first batch of Chinese language corporations whose audits shall be inspected by the U.S. audit watchdog – Public Firm Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) – in Hong Kong, the sources advised Reuters.

PwC, the accounting agency of China’s greatest e-commerce firm, has additionally been knowledgeable of the audit work inspection, mentioned the sources, declining to be recognized on account of confidentiality constraints.

Alibaba and the PCAOB didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. A PwC spokesperson mentioned it was firm coverage to not touch upon any shopper issues.

The China Securities Regulatory Fee (CSRC) couldn’t be instantly reached for remark exterior of enterprise hours.

Alibaba, which went public in New York in 2014 in what was on the time the most important itemizing in historical past, is essentially the most beneficial Chinese language agency listed in america with a market worth of $256 billion as of Monday.