Yahoo, Alibaba Group and Japanese operator SoftBank said in a joint statement today that they “continue to be engaged in constructive negotiations” on the status of Alipay, an online payment service developed by Alibaba, but haven’t reached an agreement yet. Dow Jones Newswires notes that Yahoo, a major shareholder in Alibaba, said in a regulatory filing earlier last month that Alibaba transferred ownership of Alipay to a company owned by Alibaba Chief Executive Jack Ma without seeking board approval or notifying the US company. Alibaba has said the transfer was legal and transparent. Yahoo owns a stake of around 40 percent in Alibaba Group, the parent of Hong Kong-listed Alibaba.com, and SoftBank owns 33 percent.