The meeting of five government agencies, led by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), aimed to “address the salient issues in current competition of the food delivery industry”, according to a Tuesday statement posted online by the SAMR. The other agencies involved in the meeting oversee social work, the internet, human resources and commerce.
Authorities called on the platform operators to adhere to China’s e-commerce, competition and food safety laws, while strengthening internal operations to “effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, [restaurant] operators and delivery riders”, the SAMR said.
The Hong Kong-listed shares of JD.com, Meituan and Alibaba gained 2.9, 1 and 1.6 per cent, respectively, in Wednesday morning trading, as investors bet on an easing of fierce price competition.
