China Regulates Lowest-Price Competition in Hotel Bookings, Guides Meituan and Others

On September 15, 2026, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism held an administrative guidance meeting on the online hotel booking industry. The companies covered were Meituan, TikTok, JD.com, Ctrip, Tongcheng, and Fliggy. According to reporting by Titanium Media’s official account, the main theme was ensuring fair competition and preventing excessive competition. Exclusive partnerships and the imposition of lowest-price-on-the-entire-network requirements were cited as targets for rectification. It was also confirmed that each company announced its compliance stance on the evening of the same day. This is a complex development spanning lodging distribution, payments, and automotive partnerships.

This article is based on Titanium Media (All Rights Reserved). It relies on fair quotation under Article 32 of the Japanese Copyright Act.

Strengthened Administrative Guidance for the

Hotel Booking Industry

At the meeting, fair competition was positioned as the legal foundation of the market economy. Law-compliant operation was emphasized as the lifeline for corporate development. The industry has contributed to improving convenience and promoting tourism consumption. At the same time, it was pointed out that competition risks cannot be taken lightly. Platform companies are key players in the industry. They were told to uphold the bottom line of the law and strengthen their management systems.

Fair competition is the legal cornerstone of the market economy, and law-compliant operation is the lifeline of corporate development

The Anti-Monopoly Law and the Anti-Unfair Competition Law were cited as laws for compliance. The E-Commerce Law and the Tourism Law were also included. Companies were asked to conduct self-inspections drawing lessons from past cases. The existence of exclusive partnerships was subject to verification. Excessive competition such as lowest-price-on-the-entire-network practices was flagged as a problem. Voluntary prevention and rectification were requested.

Establishment of long-term compliance systems was also required. The goal was set as forming an order based on excellent quality and reasonable prices. Protection of consumers’ legitimate rights and interests was upheld. Coexistence of diverse players within the ecosystem was encouraged. Meituan, Ctrip, Tongcheng, and Fliggy issued statements on the evening of the same day. All stated they would resolutely implement the compliance requirements.

The background is seen as concern over the lock-in of lodging inventory. Minimum-price clauses restrict the pricing freedom of partner facilities. They could lead to price rigidity across sales channels. The bundling of commissions and advertising slots is also seen as a potential issue. This guidance can be assessed as strongly preventive in nature. It prioritized system improvements over penalties.

Companies Deny Reports of Monthly-Pay Separation

On September 15, information spread that monthly payment functions would be removed from payment options. Customer service desks of Alipay, Meituan, TikTok, and JD.com responded. All explained that they had received no related notices. They stressed that the services remain available normally at present. The rumor originated from speculation about display changes after September 30. The view spread that they could no longer be listed alongside bank card payments.

Alipay customer service stated that its Huabei business is operating normally. It explained that it complies with relevant national regulations. It said the on-screen display will be the standard for specific future payment methods. Meituan Finance customer service also stressed normal provision. It explained that users can use the service with confidence. It said the actual future display will be the standard for the specific display format.

TikTok Monthly Pay customer service also stated that there was no related notice. It explained that ultimately the on-screen display will prevail. JD.com’s buy-now-pay-later customer service also stressed normal operation. It stated there is no plan to withdraw from payment options. The explanations from each company are aligned. It is seen as possible that a reorganization of display categories, rather than a system change, fueled the speculation.

Monthly pay is a buy-now-pay-later credit payment. Usage limits and screening are directly linked to credit management. Independent display on the payment screen leads to clearer fund flows. It can be assessed as helpful in preventing user misunderstanding and curbing excessive use. On the other hand, its impact on dropout rates needs to be verified. Each company is at a stage where screen design and accountability are being tested.

Announcement of Leadership Transfer in AITO

Cooperation Framework

On September 15, Harmony Intelligent Mobility explained the cooperation model for AITO. It stated that AITO will remain part of the series. It said it will explore a new cooperation model effective immediately. Product definition and product design will be led by Seres. Brand promotion, distribution networks, and retail will also be handled by Seres. Seres will also play a central role in the maintenance system. Huawei’s Device Business Group will participate in a supporting role.

It was stated that there will be no impact on existing users’ rights or future maintenance. This adjustment was said not to extend to other series. Maextro, Stelato, Luxeed, and Shangjie will maintain the existing model. These follow a model in which Huawei leads the entire process. Only AITO will shift leadership to the manufacturing side. The aim is seen as clarifying the division of development responsibilities.

Seres leadership will clarify responsibility for mass production and quality control. Huawei can focus on connectivity and computing. It can concentrate on providing devices, automotive components, and foundational software. It can also be assessed as leading to streamlining of overlapping sales networks. If unification of user support proceeds, maintenance quality could stabilize. The focus is on continuity of parts supply and update systems.

In a related development, remarks by Huawei Supervisory Board Chairman Guo Ping were also disclosed. At an internal roundtable, he was asked about involvement in space development. He said the vision is to help customers realize their dreams in the field of electronic information. He made clear there are no plans to manufacture satellites or spacecraft. He explained it is outside the scope of business. He said the company aims for the ultimate in its chosen fields of connectivity and computing.

ByteDance Revenue Growth and Expanded AI

Investment

According to reports, ByteDance’s first-half revenue reached 120 billion dollars. This was up 30% year on year. First-half net profit fell to 20 billion dollars. Accelerated investment in artificial intelligence was cited as the cause. The company is said to have provided no response at present. Advertising and e-commerce are seen as supporting underlying revenue. Spending on inference infrastructure squeezed profits.

Huawei Rotating Chairman Wang Tao commented on model scale. He said large-scale models have exceeded 1 trillion parameters. He said 10 trillion parameters will become the basic scale for ultra-large models. He said AI is evolving from passive response to autonomous agents. He also noted the maturation of open ecosystems. China’s token consumption increased from 100 billion per day in early 2024 to 500 trillion per day recently. The increase reached nearly 5,000-fold. He said super-node clusters with more than 100,000 GPUs will become the basic configuration by 2027.

Wang Xin, head of the central bank’s research bureau, commented on resource consumption. He said the rapid development of AI continues to drive up computing demand. The focus is on large-scale water use and its impact on regional water carrying capacity. He proposed strengthening metering, monitoring, verification, and information disclosure. He proposed promoting water-saving technologies. He proposed establishing a green data center resource-efficiency evaluation system. He also proposed leveraging the allocative function of water pricing. He also proposed supporting coordinated development through green finance.

Changes in computing demand and revenue structures will also spill over to the lodging industry. Recommendation accuracy and price optimization are directly linked to competitiveness. Demand forecasting and automated inventory allocation are expected to advance. Resource constraints will affect the selection of data center locations. Securing electricity and water can be assessed as becoming locational conditions. Balancing compliance and efficiency is the challenge.

Financial Information Regulation and

Semiconductor Technology Trends

On September 15, Xiaohongshu announced its first community financial ecosystem convention. It was released on Financial Ecosystem Governance Open Day. Specialized content subject to encouragement was clarified. Prohibited content in eight categories, including illegal stock recommendations, was defined. Educational efforts by qualified creators and institutions were encouraged. Sharing of authentic asset-management experiences by users was also encouraged. Thorough risk disclosure was required. Disclosure when AI is used was also required.

Prohibited items included malicious pessimism. They included illegal stock recommendations. They included illegal financial activities. They included forgery of authoritative endorsement. They included promises guaranteeing principal and interest. They included fabrication of false investor personas. They included disguised inducement to external sites. For financial promotions, obtaining a license was made a prerequisite. In addition, passing professional qualification certification was required. Impersonation and name-lending were uniformly prohibited. Rental and sale of qualifications were also prohibited.

In the components field, Fenghua Hi-Tech explained that it independently develops MLCCs, which are multilayer ceramic capacitors. It said it has been engaged in the electronic components industry for more than 40 years. It explained that it has expanded R&D investment and increased the share of high-end products. It denied rumors of buying back overseas products and relabeling them. It explained that the Xianghe industrial park project has reached full mass production. It said high-end MLCC sales in the first half of 2026 accounted for about 40% of total MLCC sales. These include high-capacitance products, automotive-grade products, and medium- to high-voltage products. It said the operating rate remains at a consistently high level.

In automotive batteries, an internal reorganization at Geely was reported. An executive said multiple subsidiaries are being consolidated. In the long term, they could be incorporated into Geely Automobile’s listed company. This is premised on meeting profitability conditions. Reports of CATL’s acquisition of a Chongqing battery project were described as an isolated case. He said CATL also needs to expand capacity. CATL also announced an investment through its subsidiary Ningbo Wending. This is participation in a Xiamen venture investment fund. The subscribed contribution is 1.12 billion yuan. Meitu denied reports of share sales by founder Wu Zeyuan. It explained he purchased 1 million shares on September 15, 2026. Caissa Travel announced contract fraud affecting its wholly owned subsidiary. After paying 26.95 million yuan, contact was lost. It reported to public security authorities, and a case investigation was accepted.

Editorial Opinion

On short-term impacts. In the next three to six months, reviews of minimum-price clauses in hotel bookings are expected to progress. Each company will be pressed to improve price displays and audit records. Contract revisions with partner facilities are assessed to concentrate. Reorganization of monthly-pay displays is also seen as prompting improved user explanations. Clearer standards for complaint handling could become a competitive factor.

On the long-term perspective. In one to three years, the Seres-led division of roles is expected to become a reference for other automotive partnerships. It is a model in which the manufacturing side handles definition and distribution, while the technology side focuses on the foundation. Domestic production of components and battery reorganization are assessed to promote supply-chain resilience. The financial information convention is seen as linking with AI disclosure obligations. It is assessed to become a foundation for trustworthy advisory distribution.

Questions from the editorial team. Can price regulation and convenience be balanced? After minimum prices are abolished, what will become consumers’ selection criteria? Will disclosure of commission rates and ranking be sufficient? Where is the point of harmony between technology investment and resource constraints? Verifiable disclosure mechanisms are seen as being called into question.

References

• “【钛晨报】两部门要求美团、携程等平台，防范化解“全网最低价”等竞争风险；平台月付将退出支付选项？支付宝、京东等多方回应；华为与赛力斯合作模式官宣调整”, by 钛媒体官方账号 — 钛媒体, 2026-09-15T23:20:00.000Z (ARR)
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