Core Viewpoint - The platform economy is currently trapped in a "low-price competition" and "subsidy war" dilemma, necessitating urgent solutions to transition towards healthy competition focused on efficiency and service [1][23]. Group 1: Investigation Initiatives - The "Breaking 'Involution' and Reshaping Ecology" investigation action was initiated by the Digital Economy New Media & Think Tank Network Economic Society to promote healthy development in the platform economy [1][23]. - This investigation follows the significant achievements of last year's "Refund Only" investigation, aiming for a more comprehensive and in-depth analysis [1]. Group 2: Expert Involvement - The investigation involves collaboration with university professors, associations, think tank experts, investors, lawyers, and analysts to deeply interpret the "involution-style" competition in the platform economy [9]. - A report titled "2025 Platform Economy 'Anti-Involution' Analysis Report" will be published as a result of this investigation [9]. Group 3: Key Issues Identified - The investigation highlights several practical challenges in applying core legal principles, such as the difficulty in cost recognition for predatory pricing and the ambiguity in defining market dominance in a two-sided market [11][12]. - Issues related to algorithmic collusion and the challenges of proving such behavior under current antitrust laws are also emphasized [13]. Group 4: Legal Gaps and Recommendations - There is a lack of clarity in recognizing data abuse and data monopoly, which hampers effective enforcement against platforms that utilize data advantages to stifle competition [14]. - Recommendations include refining platform economy-specific regulations, enhancing data and algorithm governance, and optimizing enforcement mechanisms and liability systems [18][19][20]. Group 5: Focus Areas of Investigation - The investigation will focus on various sectors, including retail e-commerce platforms (e.g., JD.com, Taobao, Douyin), local life (instant retail) platforms (e.g., Meituan, Ele.me), cross-border e-commerce platforms (e.g., Amazon, AliExpress), ride-hailing platforms (e.g., Didi Chuxing), and online travel platforms (e.g., Ctrip, Qunar) [24][32].

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].

Core Viewpoint - The platform economy in China is currently facing severe "involution" challenges, characterized by low-price competition and subsidy wars, necessitating a comprehensive investigation to promote healthy development [1] Group 1: Forms of Involution - Price involution involves platforms using algorithms to enforce suggested prices on merchants, leading to forced acceptance of lower prices [11] - Subsidy wars are prevalent, with multiple platforms investing billions in subsidies to capture market share [12] - Low-price traps are created by platforms offering promotions that lead to merchant losses and irrational consumer behavior [12] Group 2: Roots of Involution - The root causes include market saturation and homogeneous competition, with user growth plateauing and high overlap among major platforms [13] - Similarity in products and services across platforms leads to a lack of differentiation, driven by a capital-driven short-term logic [14] - Regulatory lag and absence of clear rules hinder effective enforcement against below-cost pricing [14] Group 3: Core Conflicts - There is a conflict between platforms and merchants, with profit margins being squeezed due to price competition and high commission rates [15] - Short-term consumer benefits clash with long-term service quality, as low prices lead to declining product quality and increased delivery times [15] - The industry faces a vicious cycle where low-price competition reduces supplier profits, leading to lower product quality and industry degradation [16] Group 4: Long-term Negative Impacts - At the platform level, there is a depletion of innovation resources as platforms prioritize price wars over technological development [17] - The industry experiences a vicious cycle of resource misallocation, with merchants forced to cut costs, leading to declining product quality [18] - Nationally, low-price strategies weaken the international competitiveness of Chinese brands and exacerbate economic security risks [19] Group 5: Legal and Regulatory Challenges - Current legal frameworks face challenges in defining and enforcing "below cost" pricing due to industry-specific cost structures [20] - Evidence collection is difficult for merchants facing coercive pricing practices, as key algorithmic data is controlled by platforms [21] - The legal system struggles to address the hidden nature of platform rules that mask coercive behaviors [22] Group 6: Recommendations for Legal Improvement - There is a need to refine operational standards for "anti-involution" measures, including clear cost accounting guidelines for various industries [24] - Enhancing platform rule transparency and accountability is essential, requiring platforms to consult with merchant representatives before rule changes [25] - Addressing cross-regional enforcement challenges and ensuring government accountability in promoting fair competition is crucial [26] Group 7: Balancing Regulation and Autonomy - The balance between government regulation and platform autonomy should focus on defining clear boundaries for regulatory intervention [27] - A collaborative governance approach is necessary, allowing platforms to participate in rule-making while ensuring fair competition [28]

Core Viewpoint - The platform economy is facing severe "involution" competition characterized by price wars and subsidy battles, which hinders healthy industry development and threatens long-term consumer interests [1] Group 1: Government Actions and Policies - The government has initiated multiple measures to address "involution" competition, including the introduction of the revised Anti-Unfair Competition Law, effective from October 15, 2025, which prohibits platforms from forcing merchants to sell below cost [2][3] - Key meetings and policies include the Central Political Bureau meeting in July 2024, which emphasized the need for industry self-discipline, and the Central Economic Work Conference in December 2024, which escalated the response to "involution" competition [2] Group 2: Characteristics of Involution Competition - Involution competition manifests in various forms across the platform economy, including price wars, subsidy battles, and severe homogeneity in business models [4][5] - The competition is driven by algorithmic manipulation, leading to market entry barriers and a closed ecosystem that favors established platforms [5][6] Group 3: Root Causes and Conflicts - The root causes of involution competition include market structure imbalance, capital-driven distortions, and regulatory lag [7][8] - Core conflicts arise from the tension between homogeneous competition and innovation incentives, as well as the disparity between capital profit motives and market fairness [7][9] Group 4: Multi-layered Impacts of Involution - Involution competition has negative effects on economic efficiency, social equity, and national economic security, leading to resource misallocation and erosion of tax bases [10][11] - The impact on platforms includes weakened profitability and innovation, while industries face supply chain disruptions and declining employment quality [10][11] Group 5: Transition from Involution to Value Creation - The platform economy must shift from zero-sum competition to value creation, focusing on technological innovation, cultural empowerment, and ecological collaboration [20][21] - Key strategies for this transition include optimizing ecological structures, innovating service models, and fostering equitable cooperation among stakeholders [20][21] Group 6: Legal Framework Challenges - The current legal framework faces significant limitations in addressing involution competition, particularly in areas like price dumping and algorithmic collusion [22][23] - Recommendations for improvement include refining platform-specific regulations, enhancing data governance, and optimizing enforcement mechanisms [23][24]

Core Viewpoint - The platform economy is currently trapped in a cycle of "low-price competition" and "subsidy wars," necessitating a shift towards healthier development practices to avoid long-term negative impacts on profitability and sustainability [1][4]. Group 1: Negative Impacts of "Involution" - The ongoing "involution" in the platform economy, while providing short-term benefits to consumers, leads to reduced profit margins and risks to sustainable development for platforms [4]. - Involuntary participation in this competitive behavior can harm merchants' operations, potentially resulting in a decline in product quality, which contradicts market demands for value [4]. Group 2: Transitioning from "Traffic Involution" to "Value Creation" - Platform managers must recognize the risks of malicious competition and embrace social responsibility by enhancing service quality and protecting the interests of consumers and merchants [5]. - A shift away from low-price marketing strategies is essential, focusing on customer satisfaction and improving communication and service mechanisms in line with modern marketing principles [5]. Group 3: Balancing Government Regulation and Platform Autonomy - Government regulation is necessary to establish service norms and pricing guidelines, while platforms should operate autonomously within these frameworks [6]. - Continuous monitoring and correction of platform behaviors by the government are crucial to ensure compliance with relevant laws [6]. Group 4: Focus Areas for Investigation - The investigation will cover various sectors, including retail e-commerce platforms (e.g., JD.com, Taobao), local life services (e.g., Meituan), cross-border e-commerce (e.g., Amazon), ride-hailing services (e.g., Didi), and online travel platforms (e.g., Ctrip) [10][16].

Core Viewpoint - The Chinese government is intensifying its "anti-involution" policies to combat low-efficiency competition in the platform economy, aiming to shift from chaotic "traffic involution" to a new phase of healthy competition focused on efficiency and service [2][9]. Group 1: Policy Background - "Anti-involution" has become a key term in China's economic governance, with significant policy developments from July 2024 to March 2025, including the introduction of the revised Anti-Unfair Competition Law, which prohibits platforms from forcing merchants to sell below cost [2][3]. - The series of policies aims to curb malicious competition, protect stakeholders' rights, and drive the industry towards high-quality development [2][3]. Group 2: Industry Challenges - Various sectors, including live e-commerce, retail e-commerce, food delivery, ride-hailing, and online travel, are deeply entrenched in "involution" and face severe challenges due to ongoing low-price wars and subsidy battles [2][4]. - The food delivery industry exemplifies this issue, where platforms transfer costs to merchants through irrational subsidies and rising commissions, creating a vicious cycle [4][6]. Group 3: Investigation Actions - The "Breaking 'Involution' and Reshaping Ecology" investigation initiated by the China E-Commerce Research Center focuses on major platforms across retail e-commerce, local life services, cross-border e-commerce, ride-hailing, and online travel [9][20]. - The investigation will include real-time monitoring of "involution" issues, extensive research on platforms' responses to policies, expert analyses of industry pain points, and multi-channel dissemination of findings [20][22]. Group 4: Future Directions - The investigation aims to establish a new competitive dimension centered on "efficiency" and "service," moving beyond mere traffic and price competition to enhance supply chain optimization and technological empowerment [22]. - Regulatory measures and legal deterrents are necessary to address the current challenges, but a sustainable evaluation system focused on creating real social value is essential for long-term success [22].

Core Viewpoint - The newly revised Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the People's Republic of China, effective from October 15, 2025, aims to strengthen platform responsibilities and address "involution" competition within the platform economy [1] Group 1: Legislative Changes - The revised law prohibits platform operators from forcing or indirectly forcing internal operators to sell goods below cost, disrupting market competition [1] - The law mandates platforms to establish mechanisms for reporting and resolving unfair competition complaints and to take necessary actions upon discovering such behaviors [1][3] Group 2: Market Dynamics - The government emphasizes the importance of regulating "involution" competition, particularly in the internet platform sector, which has seen intense competition and price wars in areas like food delivery and local services [1][2] - The internal competition among platforms is exacerbated by price transparency, leading to rapid imitation among small businesses and resulting in product homogeneity and intensified price competition [3] Group 3: Economic Implications - The law aims to create a stable regulatory environment that encourages healthy competition rather than destructive price wars, allowing companies to focus on value creation and innovation [3][4] - By regulating competition, the law seeks to protect the rights of consumers, platform operators, and gig workers, ensuring a fair and orderly competitive landscape [2][3]