On August 1st, Taobao and Ele.me issued a joint statement, declaring their firm opposition to vicious competition and commitment to cooperation for ecosystem-wide benefits. The full statement is as follows:

This summer, millions of food delivery riders and hundreds of thousands of merchants of all sizes have connected hundreds of millions of consumers in different ways, igniting the vitality of business and enthusiasm for life. This enormous consumer scale and growth resilience strengthen our belief in the tremendous potential of future service consumption, and that the digital economy can more powerfully promote mutual development with the real economy through collaborative efforts.

To better facilitate the integration of physical consumption and service consumption, continuously advance technological upgrades and business innovation, and build fair, transparent, and mutually beneficial mechanisms, under the guidance of relevant authorities, we commit to focusing on the following four key areas:

First, we will reasonably plan subsidy distribution based on consumer and merchant needs. We respect and protect merchants' rights to information, choice, and pricing in participating in activities. We have established dedicated oversight and governance mechanisms for this purpose, along with compensation guarantees.

Second, we resolutely oppose vicious competition. We will proactively eliminate unfair competitive practices and stimulate the consumption potential of emerging markets and innovation vitality across the industry. We firmly respect market operating principles, protect merchants' actual income and profit margins, and will not engage in large-scale irrational promotional activities such as "zero-yuan purchases." We will continuously enhance consumers' instant home delivery service experience and work with merchants, associations, and all sectors to maintain good offline business order.

Third, we will continuously improve service quality. We will continue to provide diversified consumption scenarios and richer product categories, constantly upgrading the network efficiency of our delivery system to reward consumers' preference and support. Platform promotional activities will provide consumers with clear and straightforward discount information, with displayed prices being final prices, ensuring consumer rights. We advocate and practice green consumption concepts, guiding consumers toward rational consumption without wasting a grain of rice or a bottle of water.

Fourth, we will cooperate to promote ecosystem win-win outcomes. Focusing on core issues such as merchant participation, product quality, and rider welfare, we have established a "listen-consult-optimize-feedback" system, with multiple roundtable discussions being held successively in various locations.

On the ship sailing toward the "era of mass consumption," merchants, riders, and consumers are all indispensable solid forces. We will continue to work together with everyone as always, ensuring this great ship can sail steadily and reach distant shores.

This summer, thank you for being part of it!