Two Chinese companies founded by billionaire Jack Ma have come under Chinese regulators’ scrutiny, including with the launch of an antitrust probe. On Dec. 24, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation announced on its website that it has launched an investigation into e-commerce site Alibaba over its monopoly practices, such as a policy that forces merchants to sell products exclusively on Alibaba and prevents them from selling on rival platforms. Also on Thursday, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, China Securities Regulatory Commission, and State Administration of Foreign Exchange, announced that they will hold talks with fintech firm Ant Group in the coming days. The four regulators will “urge and guide” Ant Group to comply with regulatory requirements, including “financial supervision, fair competition, and consumer protection,” said the PBOC, China’s central bank, in a statement. Ant Group acknowledged having received a meeting notice from …