Review №6 of Chinese Antitrust News from the Experts of the BRICS Competition Centre
- Antitrust Compliance Guidelines for Internet Platforms Published
- “Admonitory” Meeting with 7 Internet Platforms
- Authorities Urge Food Delivery Platforms to Cease Unfair Competition
- Investigations into Price Gouging in the Hotel Industry
- Administrative Meeting with Ticketing Platforms
- Episode 4 of “Foreign Antitrust Regulation” Series: United Kingdom
Antitrust Compliance Guidelines for Internet Platforms Published
The release of the Antitrust Compliance Guidelines for Internet Platforms marks a new stage in the systematic regulation and anti-monopoly enforcement of the platform economy. The document was issued five years after the Anti-Monopoly Compliance Guidelines for the Platform Economy. Over this period, China has accumulated substantial regulatory experience, demonstrating a firm commitment to fostering a fair, healthy, transparent, and predictable competitive order in the digital environment.
A distinguishing feature of the Guidelines is the inclusion of practical examples that clarify the relatively abstract provisions of the Anti-Monopoly Law of the PRC. This will enable platforms to better identify regulatory “red lines,” improve compliance efficiency, and reduce compliance management costs The document outlines eight categories of practices posing antitrust risks:
- Algorithmic collusion between platforms;
- Organizing or facilitating anti-competitive agreements between sellers;
- Unfairly high pricing (excessive commissions);
- Below-cost sales (excessive subsidization);
- Blocking products or sellers;
- “Choose one of two” practices (forced exclusivity);
- Offering the “lowest price on the entire Internet”;
- Differential treatment (price discrimination)
It is important to note that the Guidelines are advisory in nature and are not legally binding. Their purpose is to make antitrust legislation more understandable and easier to comply with for internet platform operators.
Sources: SAMR 1, SAMR 2, SAMR 3
“Admonitory” Meeting with 7 Internet Platforms
On February 13, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) met with operators of China’s largest internet platforms — Alibaba Group, Douyin (TikTok China), Baidu, Tencent, JD.com, Meituan, and Taobao Flash Saleфевраля SAMR встретилась с операторами крупнейших интернет-платформ Китая — Alibaba, Douyin (TikTok), Baidu, Tencent, JD.com, Meituan и Taobao Flash Sale.The authority required strict compliance with PRC laws, including those on anti-unfair competition, pricing, e-commerce, and consumer protection. Regulators emphasized the need to avoid “involutionary” competition in any form and to promote the healthy development of the platform economy.
Source: SAMR
Authorities Urge Food Delivery Platforms to Cease Unfair Competition
Ahead of Chinese New Year, amid peak consumer demand, regulators across various regions of China issued warning letters to food delivery platforms. The letters require platforms to maintain reasonable pricing, refrain from unfair competitive practices, and ensure food safety. Authorities also urged platforms not to sacrifice product or service quality in pursuit of lower, more attractive prices. For example, the Market Supervision Administration of Nanyang (Central China) called for an end to destructive “involutionary” competition and prohibited unfair restrictions on competition, such as “choose one of two” practices, data monopolization, big data–based price discrimination, and technical blocking. The letters also prohibit organizing or participating in malicious subsidization or predatory pricing aimed at excluding competitors.
Authorities in Shantou (South China) and Xinyang (Central China) explicitly stressed abandoning the model of extensive competition: platforms should not rely on constant subsidies to achieve “market share growth” as their ultimate strategic goalп.
Source: WeChat
Investigations into Price Gouging in the Hotel Industry
Authorities in Shantou (South China) fined several local hotels for unlawful pricing practices. Taking advantage of increased demand during the New Year holiday, accommodation providers significantly raised prices. Following consumer complaints about sharp price increases, regulators launched inspections and identified several violations:
- Failure to prominently display room prices (e.g., at the reception desk);
- Re-letting rooms at inflated prices to new guests while forcing original guests to cancel bookings under false pretenses (e.g., fictitious water or electricity outages);
- Increasing prices by two to four times compared to normal rates;
- Creating a “false discount” effect by artificially raising prices before announcing promotional reductions back to the original level.
Shantou ranked among the top 10 domestic tourist destinations during Chinese New Year, with bookings increasing by 186%. The Municipal Market Supervision Administration deployed 744 officials to inspect 387 accommodation providers and initiated 10 cases concerning pricing violations.
Source: WeChat
Administrative Meeting with Ticketing Platforms
Amid the Spring Festival travel rush — when most Chinese citizens return to their hometowns — the Beijing Municipal Market Supervision Administration held a meeting with 12 online ticket booking platforms, including Trip.com (Ctrip), Fliggy, Meituan, TravelSky, Baidu Maps, and Tencent Maps. The authority required the removal of any misleading advertising and false claims of affiliation with the official Chinese railway ticketing service China Railway 12306.
Representatives of 12306 stated that technical measures have been implemented to prevent fraudulent activities. Most anomalies (such as the use of bots to intercept tickets) are detected by the system, resulting in blocked access or placement in a waiting queue12306.
The 2026 Spring Festival travel season will last 40 days — from February 2 to March 13 — with total interregional trips expected to reach a record 9.5 billionпик 2026.
Episode 4 of “Foreign Antitrust Regulation” Series: United Kingdom
The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has launched an infographic series describing antitrust legislation and enforcement systems in other jurisdictions. The fourth publication focuses on the United Kingdom, outlining key applicable laws, merger filing thresholds, and potential anti-competitive violations.
The first three episodes covered the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom.
Source: WeChat
