China’s National Development and Reform Commission, together with the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Cyberspace Administration of China, released draft regulations on Saturday aimed at curbing unfair pricing practices by online platforms that sell goods and services. The proposal, now open for public comment for one month, seeks to establish a pricing mechanism that is "transparent and predictable," according to an official statement. Under the draft, platform operators and their merchants must set and adjust prices through standardised contracts or orders, clearly display price or fee information and promptly disclose any changes. The text also addresses newer tactics such as big-data-driven and dynamic pricing, requiring platforms to ensure such practices do not mislead consumers or discriminate among users. The initiative follows a stream of complaints from merchants and shoppers that large platforms manipulate prices to boost traffic, and comes amid Beijing’s broader campaign to police its digital economy. In 2021 Alibaba paid a record $2.75 billion antitrust fine, while fierce discount battles in "instant retail" have since intensified scrutiny. Regulators say the new rules are meant to protect consumer rights, encourage fair competition and allow greater public oversight of China’s fast-growing platform sector.