China Orders Didi, Meituan to Rectify Ride-Hailing Abuses
- Antitrust watchdog, ministry summons 10 companies for talks
- Regulators grill companies on arbitrary pricing mechanisms
The Didi Chuxing Inc. ride-hailing app on a smartphone in Shanghai.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
China’s antitrust watchdog ordered Didi Chuxing, Meituan and eight other leaders in on-demand transport to halt practices from arbitrary price hikes to unfair treatment of drivers, expanding a crackdown on the country’s internet giants.
Regulators including the State Administration for Market Regulation and transport ministry summoned executives from the 10 companies, which included shipping services Full Truck Alliance and Huolala, to a meeting Friday, the state-backed China Transport News reported. The companies were criticized for violating drivers’ interests and perpetuating a monopoly on freight data, among other issues, and asked to fix those problems.