Jin Rong Jie·2026-01-09 10:43Core Viewpoint - The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced an investigation into the competitive landscape of the food delivery platform service industry, highlighting issues such as excessive subsidies, price wars, and traffic control that have negatively impacted the real economy and intensified "involution" competition [1]. Group 1: Investigation Announcement - The SAMR will conduct a thorough investigation and assessment of the market competition in the food delivery sector, utilizing methods such as on-site verification, face-to-face interviews, and surveys to gather opinions from various stakeholders including platform operators, new employment groups, and consumers [1]. - Meituan expressed strong support for the investigation and committed to cooperating fully, viewing this as an opportunity to work with other platforms to fulfill market responsibilities and engage in fair competition [1]. Group 2: Industry Context - The investigation follows a period of intensified competition in the food delivery market, particularly after JD.com and Alibaba announced their entry into the sector in early 2025, leading to what has been termed the "food delivery war" [1]. - The SAMR had previously held discussions with three major food delivery platforms in May and July 2025, urging them to compete fairly and operate legally to foster a healthy market environment [1]. Group 3: Meituan's Stance - Meituan has publicly opposed "involution" during its earnings calls and shareholder meetings for three consecutive quarters, making six official statements against it throughout 2025 [2]. - The SAMR has a precedent of assessing market competition in key industries before implementing policies for healthy and orderly development, as seen in its 2024 annual report on antitrust enforcement which included evaluations of the new energy, cloud services, and semiconductor industries [2].