BEIJING, - Chinese authorities summoned seven online platforms selling train tickets including Trip.com, Meituan, Tongcheng and Alibaba's Fliggy, warning the firms against disruptive, automated ticketing programmes.

Companies are "prohibited from using automated programs to conduct large-scale, high-frequency ticket-snatching operations that interfere with the security verification measures" and the normal operation of the official ticket selling system known as "12306", according to a statement released by the Cyberspace Administration of China on Friday (April 10).