On May 17, officials met with some of China's top tech executives, further signalling the easing of the regulatory scrutiny that has put pressure on the once fast-growing sector since late 2020. The country's Vice Premier Liu He pledged support to tech firms and platform companies soon after. But top analysts don't see this as a major reversal of Beijing's crackdown; rather, Trivium tech analyst Linghao Bao expects firms to see a grace period for around six months, followed by a continued commitment to regulatory action, aimed at fostering competition in and increasing state control of a space dominated by behemoths like e-commerce giant Alibaba and WeChat owner Tencent. Last week's meeting follows statements made in April by the Politburo, where the decision-making body pledged support for the "healthy" development of a digital platform economy. ( CNBC )