In response to the chaos caused by the ruthless price war, the Chinese government is undertaking a large-scale campaign to clean up the online space. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced the launch of a three-month campaign aimed at combating fake advertisements, manipulative publications and the organized spread of negative information about automakers.
The long-standing price competition not only deals serious blows to automakers themselves, but also affects their suppliers and dealers. Now the government is focusing not only on price control, but also on eliminating unfair marketing practices. Any deliberate discrediting of competitors and spreading fake news for profit will be considered a serious violation and will be subject to strict control.
One of the main goals of the campaign is to put an end to the use of the so-called "Internet trolls" by rival companies. These manipulative networks are often used to spread negative information that aims to damage a brand's image. Chinese authorities plan to oblige both automakers and online platforms to take specific measures to remedy these violations.
The ministry's statement did not name specific companies or entities, indicating the government's intention to act systematically and cover the entire industry. The measure is another attempt to restore order in the world's largest auto market, where uncontrolled competition has already led to a slowdown in sales of electric and hybrid vehicles. Official data shows that sales in August were the slowest in a year and a half, which is a clear signal that aggressive marketing wars are hurting even the fastest-growing segment.