Analysis-China's internet firms cautiously revive lending as Beijing pushes consumer loans

BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -China's internet platforms are quietly reviving consumer lending, taking Beijing's push to make household borrowing cheaper as a signal that regulators may be easing a years-long crackdown on the sector, four industry sources said. Beijing began reining in what it described as "disorderly expansion" by internet platforms in 2020 by pulling the IPO of Alibaba-affiliated Ant Group, followed by business restructuring orders and fines on Ant and others. In August, however, needing to spur weak consumption while managing a trade dispute with Washington, China introduced consumer-loan interest subsidies, naming Ant and Tencent-backed WeBank alongside traditional banks as eligible lenders. INTERNET PLATFORMS COME UP FOR AIR Internet platforms read the move, and earlier