At the same time, it is an important reminder to the SAIC, and all others in law-enforcement roles, about the importance of fairness in their work. Many government institutions have found themselves in a constant crisis-control mode exactly because they ignored fairness.

It was good to see the SAIC publish a "white paper" on its dealings with Alibaba, which offers precious insight into the ongoing quarrel.

No matter whether the Alibaba-identified official has done anything improper, the SAIC will benefit from an honest account of what happened. And should taobao.com's concerns prove well-founded, the administration must make timely corrections and make sure its future alerts don't mislead.

And, furious as it is, taobao.com must not blind itself to the heavier burden on its shoulders for the quality of goods sold via its platform. It should stand by, rather than against, the SAIC, in a determined crusade against counterfeits. Or it must prove the SAIC allegation of "long-term existence" of "massive illicit business practices" is untrue.

Given their immense growth potential and huge popularity, we are anxious to see taobao.com and Alibaba demonstrate wholesome corporate citizenship.