Li Auto Condemns Paid Trolls for Market Disruption

[Market Chaos] Li Xiang, CEO of Li Auto, publicly accused a Japanese automaker of hiring paid trolls to smear its products, causing industry-wide shock.

Core Development: Paid Trolls Emerge as a New Weapon in Zero-Sum Competition

On April 11, Li Xiang posted multiple messages on his social media feed condemning "fake troops [who] are even worse than the enemy," directly accusing competitors of using blank accounts to fabricate false information and attack Li Auto’s comment sections. That same evening, Wang Qian, General Manager of Dongfeng Nissan’s New Energy Division, responded by stating they "adhere strictly to rules and respect peers." Li Auto’s legal department immediately announced it had completed evidence collection and would initiate legal proceedings.

Key Data: Industry Profit Margins Hit a Decade-Low

According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, the average profit margin of China’s auto industry in 2025 was only 4.1%, the lowest in ten years. Trapped in a dilemma of "rising revenue but shrinking profits," some automakers have shifted to substitutional competition—gaining market share by disparaging rivals rather than improving their own R&D or service quality.

Strategic Undercurrent: Competitive Ethics Are Eroding

As both price wars and technological dividends reach their limits, paid trolls have become a low-cost, gray-area tactic to undermine competitors. This controversy reveals a dangerous industry trend: shifting from product-based competition to reputation-driven warfare.