(Yicai Global) March 25 -- The chairman of Tencent Holdings has responded to China's tightening anti-monopoly regulation for the first time, pledging the tech giant's compliance.

Tencent will actively cooperate with regulatory authorities and is as compliant as possible to ensure long-term development, Ma Huateng said during the company's earnings call yesterday.

Tencent has had meetings with relevant departments to discuss antitrust issues, hoping to create a healthy environment and to encourage more innovation in China, said President Liu Chiping.

The Shenzhen-based firm has recently been punished for its involvement in unfair market practices. The State Administration for Market Regulation had investigated several undertakings, including Tencent’s acquisition of Yuanfudao’s equity, and imposed individual fines of CNY500,000 (USD76,550) on 12 Chinese internet companies, including Tencent and Baidu, the SAMR said on March 12.

The policy shift may bring the ecosystems built by Tencent and Alibaba Group Holding, China's biggest internet rivals, closer. On March 17, Bloomberg reported that the Hangzhou-based e-commerce behemoth is planning to offer its Taobao Special Edition application on WeChat, breaking some walls of earlier exclusivity.

Some investors asked yesterday during the call whether Tencent would have more cooperation with other economic ecosystems in China. Tencent has an open platform and encourages cooperation with other platforms, the company responded. But the firm also needs to consider user experience and protect user privacy, it added.

Probing Tencent's business is not new nor decreasing. Last December, the SAMR fined Tencent unit China Literature for its lacking of information disclose regarding its acquisition of New Classics Media. Moreover, the regulator said at that time that it is reviewing the merger of Huya and Douyu, two live-streaming platforms, in accordance with the law.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi