Discussion keeps the world turning.
This is Roundtable.
In China's blazing e-commerce marketplace, every add to cart sets off a ripple of costs,
layered, shifting, and often hidden.
So who's really footing the bill?
Today,
we pull back the curtain on platform fees and what China's draft rules forebode for merchants.
platforms and the shoppers caught in between.
Coming to you live from Beijing, this is Roundtable.
I'm He Yang.
For today's program, I'm joined by Steve Hatherly and Yushun in the studio,
first on today's show.
Online shopping is so easy these days.
Browse a sea of options, a few taps, pay, and boom, your order's on its way.
But while we're busy adding to cart, there's a lot happening behind the scenes.
For merchants, selling online isn't just about good products.
It's about navigating complex platform rules,
unclear service fees, and ever-changing commissions.
Many sellers feel squeezed by rising costs and opaque policies.
The relationship between platforms and sellers?