BEIJING - China's top market regulator on Sunday began soliciting public opinion on draft compliance guidelines to regulate fees charged by online transaction platforms, amid efforts to promote the orderly development of the platform economy.

The 28-article document, which the State Administration for Market Regulation published to gather public feedback until June 25, outlines principles to ensure fee fairness, reduce burdens on merchants, strengthen platform accountability, standardize charging practices and enhance supervision.

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The guidelines stipulate that platform fees must adhere to the principles of fairness, legality and good faith, and that charges should reflect service agreements, operating costs and merchant conditions.

They encourage platforms to adopt flexible pricing strategies, and to offer fee reductions for small and medium-sized merchants.

Platforms would be required to establish compliance management systems, which should include risk assessments and pre-charge reviews, and to appoint dedicated compliance staff, per the guidelines.

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The document would explicitly prohibit eight "unreasonable" practices – including duplicate charges, the collection of fees without the provision of services, and the shifting of platform costs to merchants – and requires platforms to meet promised fee reductions or exemptions, and to respect merchants' rights to information and choice.

The regulations would also mandate that platforms address merchant concerns, cooperate with regulatory inspections and uphold fair market competition.