Core Viewpoint - The platform economy in China is currently facing severe "involution" characterized by low-price competition and subsidy wars, necessitating a comprehensive investigation and reform to promote healthy development [1][31]. Group 1: Characteristics of "Involution" in Platform Economy - The competition manifests in extreme price wars, with practices like "one penny flash sales" in community group buying and "0 yuan rides" in ride-hailing becoming commonplace, leading to negative profit margins for many platforms [11]. - There is intense internal competition for traffic, with advertising costs on e-commerce platforms rising by 40% over three years, and user retention rates on short video platforms dropping to around 30% due to low-quality content [12]. - The homogeneity of business models is evident, with over 80% of live-streaming platforms using similar low-price strategies, and local service platforms showing a 75% overlap in functionalities [13]. - Monopolistic competition is highlighted by major platforms imposing "choose one from two" clauses on over 60% of core merchants, squeezing smaller platforms' market share to below 15% [14]. Group 2: Root Causes and Core Contradictions - The deep-rooted issues include chaotic capital expansion, with 70% of funding in 2023 directed towards price subsidies and only 15% towards technological research and development [15]. - There is a lack of innovation capability, with an average R&D investment intensity of 3.2%, significantly lower than the 8% seen in international giants [15]. - Regulatory lag is a concern, with inefficient cross-regional supervision and lengthy identification processes for new competitive behaviors [15]. - The conflict between short-term traffic and long-term value is evident, as 90% of platforms focus on user growth at the expense of technological accumulation [16]. - The imbalance between platform dominance and ecosystem balance results in major platforms extracting excessive profits while reducing merchant profits to 60% of the industry average [16]. - Low-price competition has led to a 30% exit rate of small and micro enterprises from the market, adversely affecting employment [17]. Group 3: Negative Impacts of "Involution" - The profitability of platforms is collapsing, with 12 out of 15 major platforms reporting a year-on-year decline in net profits in 2023, and an average asset-liability ratio rising to 65% [18]. - Innovation motivation is dwindling, with R&D investment ratios decreasing for three consecutive years and a 18% drop in patent numbers [18]. - The supply chain is suffering, with 30% of agricultural suppliers reducing planting areas due to price pressures, and manufacturing firms lowering raw material standards by 15% [19]. - Employment quality is declining, as delivery workers are working over 12 hours daily with an 8% decrease in income, while the closure rate of small businesses has risen by 22% [19]. - The misallocation of resources is severe, with ineffective subsidies in the platform economy exceeding 500 billion yuan in 2023, equivalent to the R&D investment of three medium-sized cities [20]. - Tax base erosion is evident, with tax revenue losses in the platform economy estimated to account for 12% of the industry's taxable amount [21]. Group 4: Pathways to Resolution and Key Measures - Platforms are encouraged to adopt transformation strategies, such as investing 20 billion yuan in smart warehousing to enhance delivery efficiency by 40% [22]. - Collaborative governance solutions include establishing price self-discipline mechanisms, with 78% of platforms signing compliance agreements [24]. - Innovative regulatory measures are being implemented, including a dynamic negative list for platform competition that clarifies 20 prohibited behaviors [27]. - A balanced regulatory framework is proposed, allowing start-ups a three-year trial period while enforcing stricter compliance checks on major platforms [28].