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China's market regulator has opened a formal investigation into online travel platform Trip.com Group for suspected abuse of its dominant market position and monopolistic practices, according to an official notice released on Wednesday.
根据周三发布的一份官方通告，中国市场监管部门已对在线旅游平台携程集团涉嫌滥用市场支配地位、实施垄断行为立案调查。
The probe was launched by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) following preliminary verification and in accordance with China's Anti-Monopoly Law, according to the notice posted on the SAMR's official website.
国家市场监督管理总局在其官网发布的通告中表示，此次调查是在完成前期核查的基础上，依法依规、依据《中华人民共和国反垄断法》启动的。
In an online statement, Trip.com said that it will actively cooperate with regulatory authorities in their investigation, fully implement regulatory requirements, and work hand-in-hand with all parties in the industry to build a sustainable market environment.
携程在一份线上声明中表示，将积极配合监管部门调查，全面落实监管要求，并与行业各方携手共建可持续的市场环境。
"Currently, all of the company's businesses are operating normally, and we will continue to provide high-quality services to our users and partners," it said.
声明称：“目前公司各项业务均正常运行，将继续为用户和合作伙伴提供高质量服务。”
After the investigation was announced, shares of Trip.com Group plunged 6.49 percent at the close of trading in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
调查消息公布后，携程集团股价周三在香港收盘时大跌6.49%。
As China's antitrust legal framework continues to improve, misconduct by platform companies that harms consumer rights or violates data protection is increasingly being addressed in accordance with the law, Liu Dingding, a veteran internet industry analyst, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
随着中国反垄断法律体系不断完善，平台企业侵害消费者权益或违反数据保护规定的行为正日益依法得到规制。资深互联网行业分析人士刘丁丁周三在接受报纸采访时表示。
"The probe also sends a clear signal to the industry, encouraging companies to rectify problems that emerged during rapid growth and to pursue more standardized and sustainable development," Liu said, adding that by promoting a healthier and more balanced market ecosystem, the measures aim to curb disorderly expansion and create more space for small and medium-sized enterprises and other market players.
刘丁丁表示，此次调查也向行业释放出明确信号，督促企业纠正快速发展过程中暴露出的问题，推动更加规范、可持续的发展。他补充称，通过构建更加健康、均衡的市场生态，这些举措旨在遏制无序扩张，为中小企业等市场主体创造更大发展空间。
On December 8 last year, a homestay association in Southwest China's Yunnan Province publicly announced that it was soliciting evidence for potential antitrust action against Trip.com, targeting what it described as years of unfair competition by the platform.
去年12月8日，西南地区云南省一家民宿行业协会公开宣布，正在征集证据，拟针对携程多年来被指存在的不正当竞争行为提起反垄断维权行动。
The association also announced a decision on launching rights-protection efforts against improper competition by online travel agencies (OTAs), according to a statement on its official WeChat account.
该协会在其官方微信公众号发布的声明中还宣布，将对在线旅游平台存在的不正当竞争行为启动维权行动。
In the statement, the association said that it had received a large number of complaints from member businesses in recent years, accusing Trip.com and other OTA platforms of abusing their market dominance through practices such as forcing merchants to choose one platform over others, unilaterally raising commission rates, imposing unfair trading conditions, and restricting traffic exposure.
声明称，近年来协会收到大量会员企业投诉，指控携程及其他在线旅游平台通过强制“二选一”、单方面提高佣金比例、附加不公平交易条件、限制流量曝光等方式，滥用市场支配地位。
It said that these practices had seriously harmed operators' legitimate rights and disrupted fair market competition.
声明指出，这些行为严重侵害了经营者的合法权益，扰乱了公平有序的市场竞争秩序。
The SAMR's investigation forms part of China's broader push to normalize antitrust enforcement in the platform economy after years of scrutiny over the competitive conduct of major internet platforms.
此次调查是中国在多年强化监管基础上，推动平台经济领域反垄断执法常态化的重要组成部分。
On November 15, 2025, the market regulator released a draft set of antitrust compliance guidelines for internet platforms for public consultation, and it said in December that it was moving faster to finalize and roll out the rules.
2025年11月15日，市场监管部门发布了《互联网平台反垄断合规指引（征求意见稿）》，并于同年12月表示将加快规则定稿和出台进程。
SAMR spokesperson Wang Qiuping said that the move aims to effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers and small and medium-sized businesses, guide platform companies toward compliant operations, and provide institutional support for building a healthy and orderly platform ecosystem.
市场监管总局新闻发言人王秋苹表示，该举措旨在切实保护消费者和中小企业合法权益，引导平台企业合规经营，为构建健康有序的平台生态提供制度保障。
The draft guidelines refer to eight emerging monopoly risks, including cases where some platforms force merchants to keep prices no higher than on rivals - so-called "lowest-price-across-the-internet" rules. An SAMR official told a press briefing that such practices may amount to abuse of market dominance or monopoly deals.
该征求意见稿列举了八类新型垄断风险，其中包括部分平台要求商家价格不得高于竞争对手的所谓“全网最低价”规则。市场监管总局一名官员在新闻发布会上表示，此类行为可能构成滥用市场支配地位或垄断协议。
According to information on its official website, Trip.com is a one-stop travel service platform operating brands including Ctrip, Trip.com, Qunar and Skyscanner, offering a full range of travel products, services and differentiated content to users worldwide. The company was listed on the Nasdaq in 2003 and completed a secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2021.
根据携程官网信息，该公司是一站式旅游服务平台，旗下运营携程、Trip.com、去哪儿、Skyscanner等品牌，为全球用户提供全品类旅游产品、服务及差异化内容。携程于2003年在纳斯达克上市，并于2021年完成香港联交所二次上市。
According to industry estimates, Trip.com accounted for 56 percent of gross merchandise value in China's hotel and travel market in 2024, while Tongcheng ranked second with a 15 percent share. Together, the two platforms are estimated to control more than 70 percent of China's domestic OTA market, the Beijing Daily reported in July 2025.
据行业估算，2024年携程在中国酒店及旅游市场的交易总额占比达56%，同程以15%的份额位居第二。北京日报2025年7月报道称，两大平台合计控制了中国国内OTA市场超过70%的份额。
Anti-Monopoly Law /ˌænti məˈnɒpəli lɔː/
反垄断法
platform economy /ˈplætfɔːrm ɪˈkɒnəmi/
平台经济
online travel agency (OTA) /ˈɒnlaɪn ˈtrævəl ˈeɪdʒənsi/
在线旅游平台
commission rate /kəˈmɪʃn reɪt/
佣金比例
antitrust compliance guidelines /ˌæntiˈtrʌst kəmˈplaɪəns ˈɡaɪdlaɪnz/
反垄断合规指引