平台价格战没有赢家，整治“内卷式”竞争核心是破除内卷，而非消灭竞争

Core Viewpoint - The Chinese government is focusing on combating "involution" in competition by regulating local government behaviors and promoting orderly market practices to ensure a unified national market [3][5][6]. Group 1: Government Regulation and Market Order - The central government has emphasized the need to strengthen industry self-discipline and prevent "involution" in competition, with a focus on regulating local government and enterprise behaviors [4][5]. - The State Development and Reform Commission highlighted the importance of combining effective market mechanisms with proactive government actions to address issues of disorderly competition and market failures [5][6]. - Local governments are seen as both maintainers of market order and potential instigators of harmful competition due to performance pressures and fiscal decentralization [6][7]. Group 2: Local Government's Role in Involution - Local governments engage in "involution" through practices such as creating "policy lowlands," homogeneous industrial layouts, and setting market barriers to attract investments [6][7]. - The competition among local governments often leads to resource wastage and market disorder, driven by a GDP-centric performance evaluation system [6][8]. - The central government aims to standardize government behavior and clarify acceptable practices in investment attraction to mitigate systemic risks associated with local government competition [5][6]. Group 3: Long-term Solutions and Market Environment - Experts suggest that a shift from "zero-sum" policy competition to "positive-sum" institutional innovation is necessary for high-quality development [8][9]. - There is a call for the establishment of a regulatory framework that encourages long-term business environment assessments rather than short-term economic metrics [9][10]. - The government should create conditions for innovation-driven development by expanding market opportunities and supporting regional cooperation [14][15]. Group 4: Price Wars and Competition Dynamics - Price wars, often seen in the platform economy, are viewed as aggressive competition strategies that can lead to market instability and consumer dependency on subsidies [10][12]. - The long-term effects of price wars include reduced merchant profitability, market homogenization, and increased operational risks for platforms [12][13]. - The need for a balanced approach to competition is emphasized, where platforms are encouraged to focus on value creation rather than solely on price competition [20][21].