AsianFin -- The market regulator in Zhengzhou, Central China’s Henan Province, held a regulatory meeting with the main operating entity of Trip.com on Wednesday after discovering the online travel platform engaged in practices that restricted competition, in violation of China’s e-commerce law and online anti-unfair competition regulations.

According to a statement posted on the Zhengzhou Administration for Market Regulation’s WeChat account, the investigation found that Trip.com used service agreements, transaction rules, and technical measures to impose “unreasonable restrictions” on merchants’ transactions and pricing.

The regulator previously issued a rectification order to Trip.com on September 4, instructing the company to address the violations. Wednesday’s regulatory talk was intended to guide Trip.com in overhauling its practices, standardizing operations, ensuring fair competition, and protecting the rights of merchants on its platform.