Bangladesh, July 26 -- China has imposed a CNY 5.2 billion (USD 992 million) penalty on Trip.com Group after finding the online travel giant abused its dominant position in the country's hotel booking market through anti-competitive practices.

The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said the penalty includes CNY 3.52 billion in fines and the confiscation of CNY 1.66 billion in illegal gains. The regulator also ordered Trip.com to refund CNY 122 million in booking deposits withheld from hotel operators.

According to the antitrust watchdog, Trip.com used platform rules, traffic allocation mechanisms and technical measures to secure exclusive partnerships with hotels, limiting their ability to list rooms on competing platfor...