China released new rules on Saturday to regulate pricing practices of internet platforms, a move aimed at fostering innovation and promoting the sound development of the platform economy.
The rules, jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the Cyberspace Administration of China, aim to regulate pricing behavior, enhance transparency, and strengthen coordination mechanisms to cultivate a robust platform ecosystem.
Under the rules, clearer guidance has been provided on the pricing practices of platform operators and merchants to foster fair competition.
The rules also reinforce protections for merchants' independent pricing rights by explicitly prohibiting platform operators from imposing unreasonable restrictions or attaching unjustified conditions to merchants' pricing decisions.
Furthermore, the rules aim to better protect consumers' legitimate rights and interests by enforcing clear price labeling, promoting transparency in dynamic and differentiated pricing mechanisms, and regulating services such as password-free payments, automatic renewals, and unsolicited deductions to safeguard consumers' rights to information and choice. The rules will take effect on April 10, 2026. Relevant authorities will require major platform operators to conduct self-inspections in line with regulatory standards to ensure proper implementation.
China issues rules to regulate pricing practices of internet platforms
China's two major power grid operators -- the State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid) and China Southern Power Grid (CSG) -- reported a surge in investment in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring efforts to strengthen infrastructure construction and support high-quality socioeconomic development in China.
The State Grid said it completed fixed-asset investment worth 129 billion yuan (about 18.77 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three months of this year, up 37 percent the corresponding period of the previous year. The spending has driven more than 250 billion yuan (36 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across the wider industrial chain.
Key projects such as the Panxi ultra-high-voltage (UHV) alternating current (AC) line and the Anhui-Hubei back-to-back direct current (DC) project have seen ground broken for their construction, while several west-to-east power transmission projects have been upgraded.
Investment in connecting renewable energy generation to the grid was reported to have exceeded 10 billion yuan (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) from January to March, a year-on-year rise of more than 50 percent.
The CSG also reported robust growth in investment in the three-month period, with fixed-asset investment reaching 38.45 billion yuan (5.58 billion U.S. dollars), up about 50 percent from a year earlier.
Among its achievements, the company completed and commissioned 80 key projects, including the 220 kV cross-sea power grid interconnection project, which was officially put into operation on March 20. The project ended years of grid isolation on the Weizhou Island in south China by linking it to the main power system of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The construction of 17 other major energy projects, including one linking the power grid of the Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China with that of Guangdong Province in south China, is advancing rapidly. These projects are expected to bolster regional industries, the maritime economy, digital collaboration and the transition to green energy.
"By accelerating major project construction, investment during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) is expected to approach 1 trillion yuan (145 billion U.S. dollars), driving a further 2 trillion yuan (290 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across upstream and downstream industries," said Dong Yanle, deputy general manager of the Engineering Construction Department under the China Southern Power Grid.
China ramps up power grid investment in January-March to boost growth
