JD.com to sell Microsoft Xbox One in China

JD.com Inc, China's second-biggest e-commerce company by market share, will accept pre-orders for Microsoft Corp's Xbox One games console in China from July 28 to July 30.

The Xbox One will be the first gaming console to be released in mainland China since the government banned console sales in 2000, citing games' effects on mental health.

The pre-orders will be taken via Tencent Holdings' mobile social networks Mobile QQ and WeChat, known as Weixin in China, JD.com said in a statement.

Tencent holds a 17.6 per cent stake in JD.com.

On Friday, China Telecom, the country's smallest wireless carrier, said it would sell the Xbox One when released in September.

In September last year, Microsoft reached a deal with Chinese internet TV set-top box maker BesTV New Media Co to form a joint venture to manufacture the consoles in Shanghai's Free Trade Zone.

Released in November, the Xbox One has trailed in sales to Sony Corp's PlayStation 4, launched around the same time.

(Reuters)