China's top market regulator, together with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, convened a meeting on Sunday in Beijing with major online hotel booking platforms to address industry practices. The meeting was part of an administrative guidance session aimed at fostering fair competition and addressing emerging challenges within the sector.

During the session, the regulatory bodies emphasized that all platform companies must strictly comply with existing laws and regulations. They were urged to proactively identify and mitigate risks associated with exclusive partnerships, as well as promotional strategies that guarantee "lowest prices across all networks." These practices were highlighted as potential triggers for excessive market competition and "involution."

Executives from prominent platforms including Meituan, Douyin, JD.com, Ctrip, Tongcheng, and Fliggy attended the meeting. Officials from market regulation departments in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces were also present to participate in the discussions.

The meeting acknowledged the rapid growth of China's online hotel booking industry in recent years, recognizing its positive contributions to public convenience and the promotion of tourism consumption. However, it also stressed that competitive risks within the industry must not be overlooked. As key players in the market, online booking platforms were called upon to uphold legal standards, maintain fair competition practices, strengthen compliance management, and support the industry's standardized and healthy development.

Regulators required all platform enterprises to strictly adhere to provisions of the Anti-Monopoly Law, the Anti-Unfair Competition Law, the E-Commerce Law, and the Tourism Law. Companies were instructed to learn from past cases, conduct self-inspections, and take measures to prevent and resolve issues related to exclusive cooperation agreements and "lowest price" claims that could lead to unhealthy competition.

Furthermore, platforms were urged to enhance their awareness of compliance, establish solid foundations for lawful operations and safe development, and develop long-term mechanisms for regulatory adherence. The ultimate goal is to create a market environment characterized by fair competition and quality service, protect consumer rights, and promote mutual prosperity for all stakeholders within the platform ecosystem.