规范价格竞争秩序，构建健康平台生态

Core Viewpoint - The newly released "Internet Platform Pricing Behavior Rules" aims to promote innovation and healthy development in the platform economy, effective from April 10, 2026, establishing clear pricing regulations for platform operators and their merchants [2][3]. Group 1: Regulatory Framework - The rules consist of 7 chapters and 29 articles, detailing the pricing behaviors that platform operators and merchants must adhere to [2]. - Existing laws such as the Price Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, E-commerce Law, and Consumer Rights Protection Law provide general guidelines, but the new rules aim to refine these for better implementation in the platform economy [2]. Group 2: Empowering Merchants - A key highlight of the rules is the protection of merchants' autonomy in pricing, addressing issues where dominant platforms previously forced merchants into "lowest price" agreements, which severely squeezed their profit margins [3]. - The rules explicitly prohibit platforms from coercing or indirectly forcing merchants to lower prices or restrict cross-platform pricing, thus granting merchants the legal right to set prices independently across different sales channels [3]. Group 3: Consumer Protection - The rules require platforms to clearly display prices and essential information such as product specifications and shipping costs, enhancing transparency in pricing [3]. - For promotional activities, the rules mandate accurate representation of discount baselines and publicize activity durations, preventing misleading advertising practices [3]. Group 4: Competition and Market Dynamics - The rules aim to guide the platform economy towards high-quality competition rather than suppressing it, addressing issues of low-cost dumping and unhealthy competition practices that harm market fairness [4]. - By distinguishing between legitimate promotions and malicious dumping, the rules encourage platforms to shift from aggressive price wars to value-based competition, focusing on logistics, after-sales service, and consumer experience [5]. Group 5: Long-term Implications - The implementation of these rules marks a transition towards a more standardized and regularized pricing governance in the platform economy, which may increase compliance costs for platforms but ultimately reduces operational risks [5]. - A fair competitive environment is expected to attract more quality operators, while a transparent pricing system enhances consumer trust and experience, stimulating domestic demand and benefiting livelihoods [5].