China

构建共赢生态是平台经济必答题

Guangming Daily | Local Language | News | Jan. 9, 2026 | UndeterminedBizdev-Partnering

The platform economy has become deeply embedded in everyday life, providing employment for millions and driving economic growth. Its development must be evaluated not only by company profits or scale but also by overall social benefits, including the well-being of workers and consumers.

Recent policy shifts from China's Central Economic Work Conference emphasize the healthy and win-win development of the platform economy. Platform enterprises are required to align their growth with improving people's quality of life by integrating social responsibility and protecting the rights of the workers and operators within their ecosystems.

Efforts to support and regulate the platform economy include expanding occupational injury protection for platform workers and issuing policies addressing key issues like expensive traffic costs, fake orders, opaque pricing, and irregular promotions. These measures aim to create fairer labor, business, and consumer environments.

Corporate responses include Meituan and Taobao offering social insurance subsidies to riders, reducing their costs and promoting longer-term partnerships. Platforms such as Pinduoduo and Kuaishou provide traffic and voucher support to small merchants to lower operating costs and increase orders, encouraging entrepreneurship among operators.

This integrated approach benefits workers, operators, consumers, and platforms by enhancing service quality, market trust, and business vitality. The platform economy’s evolving role is now focused on deepening protections for workers, standardizing operations for merchants, and delivering higher-quality consumer services, contributing to both sustainable enterprise success and improved social welfare for millions.

Times of News | English | News | Jan. 9, 2026 | UndeterminedEconomic Growth

Thailand’s central bank has warned that the country’s economic competitiveness is declining, with exports expected to face negative impacts due to U.S. tariffs and the persistently overvalued baht. The economy is also challenged by high household debt, a border conflict with Cambodia, and political uncertainty ahead of elections scheduled for early February 2026. Despite limited policy space, the Bank of Thailand indicated it may still take action if necessary.

GDP growth in the second half of 2025 was projected at 1.3% year-on-year, with exports increasing 9.1% during the period. Inflation remained below the central bank’s target, as the headline consumer price index (CPI) dropped 0.28% in December 2025 compared to the same month the previous year. Core CPI rose slightly by 0.59% in December, excluding volatile energy and fresh food prices. The trade ministry forecasts headline inflation to range between -0.5% to 1% in Q1 2026, and between 0% to 1% for the entire year.

The central bank said medium-term inflation expectations remain within the target range of 1% to 3%, but noted deflation risk cannot be ruled out, even though it is not currently anticipated. The strong baht, which appreciated by over 10% against the U.S. dollar in 2025, has tightened liquidity for small- to medium-sized exporters, negatively affecting shipments. The Bank of Thailand expects overall economic growth in 2025 to meet its forecast of 2.2%.

Kangxin Partners PC | English | AcademicThink | Jan. 9, 2026 | UndeterminedIP Protection

2025年12月11日，阿根廷国家工业产权局（INPI）发布第583/2025号决议，推动了阿根廷商标注册程序的重要改革，旨在简化流程、缩短审查时间并与国际标准接轨。自决议发布日起，商标审查仅依据绝对理由或与公共秩序相关的理由进行，只有在第三方提出异议或启动无效宣告程序时，才审查相对理由。

绝对理由包括商标与已注册或先申请的相同商品或服务的商标相同、涉及原产地名称、违背道德公序良俗的标志、国家及国际组织使用的符号等。2026年3月1日起，审查流程将加速，公告时间缩短为1天，异议期仍为30天，若无异议，商标可获准注册。

此次改革提升了INPI的审查效率，显著缩短了商标审查时间，减轻了审查压力。对商标申请人而言，获权更容易且周期缩短，是一大利好。对于已有商标权利人，因官方不再主动审查相对理由，抢注风险增加，维权难度加大，需强化商标监控和异议应对。

总体来看，改革提升了商标注册效率，便利了申请人，同时促使在先权利人需更加积极维护权益。市场参与者需适应新规，以应对阿根廷商标保护环境的变化。