University / Organisation : Paris Dauphine University - PSL

Paper or project ? paper

Title : Institutional Change of the Platform Regulation and Anti-monopoly in China

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Abstract : The platform economy has become a critical driver of modern economic growth, with China emerging as a global leader in this domain. In response to rapid technological advancements and multifaceted challenges arising from platform governance, the Chinese government has implemented significant regulatory transformations since 2020. This paper examines the transition process of China's digital regulatory framework, focusing on the transition of regulators, legislation, enforcement, and firms. The study identifies two distinct stages of China's digital regulation: the first stage (2020 to mid-2022), characterized by aggressive intervention and market restructuring, and the second stage (from mid-2022), marked by an effort to balance regulation with economic development. Through a political institutional approach, this paper situates China's regulatory transformations within a path-dependent trajectory, in which political institutions and administrative reforms collectively shape the evolution of digital regulation in line with the country's broader political-economic priorities. This analysis contributes to the broader discourse on platform regulation, offering insight into the relationship between state control, market regulation, and economic development in a digital era.