China’s market regulator imposes a large antitrust penalty on Trip.com Group after finding the company abused a dominant position in the online travel market. Multiple outlets report the fine is about 5.2 billion yuan (roughly US$765 million). The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) says the company engaged in “monopolistic” or anti-competitive conduct following a months-long investigation, according to reports referencing SAMR’s findings. Sources describe the conduct as involving platform and business practices that helped Trip.com secure preferential or exclusive hotel arrangements and steer demand, including the use of traffic-allocation methods, platform rules, and technology to obtain lowest-price or exclusivity terms with some hotels. Several reports also mention SAMR confiscates alleged illegal gains in addition to the fine, though the exact figures vary by outlet. Other coverage notes the possibility that the penalty could be higher, with some pre-decision reporting citing a potential range up to roughly US$886 million. Overall, the reported decision centers on alleged market-dominance abuse affecting hotel booking and pricing practices on Trip.com and related travel platforms.