Trip.com antitrust woes give rivals chance of sun

China's antitrust regulator fined Trip.com $770 million (7.5% of revenue) for monopolistic practices in online travel, forcing it to end exclusive distribution arrangements with hotels and threatening near-term profit growth. The penalty opens space for rivals Meituan and Alibaba's Fliggy to compete as Trip.com invests heavily in AI and regulatory compliance while China's domestic travel market grows 16% annually.

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