Legislation

Provincial Governments of Hubei, Shaanxi, etc. Issue Opinions on Implementing the Fair Competition Review Mechanism

On 1 December 2016, Hubei Province issued the Notice of Provincial Government on Implementing the Fair Competition Review Mechanism in Development of Market System to regulate government's activities in enacting policies that restrict or eliminate competition.1 On 5 December, Shaanxi Province issued the Opinions of Shaanxi Provincial Government on Implementing the Fair Competition Review Mechanism in Development of Market System, in which specific arrangements, review targets, enforcement procedures, safeguard mechanism are laid down.2 Since the State Council issued the Opinions on Establishment of Fair Competition Review Mechanism in Development of Market System on 14 June 2016, several provinces including Jiangsu, Hunan, Hebei, Liaoning, Beijing, Ningxia, Guizhou, Hubei and Shaanxi have subsequently issued their respective implementing opinions.

Authorities

The PSAMB of NDRC Signs Agreements with Several Universities for Cooperation on Competition Policy and Antitrust

On December 21, The Price Supervision and Anti-Monopoly Bureau ("PSAMB") of the National Development and Reform Commission ("NDRC") has signed competition policy and antitrust cooperation agreements with several universities including China University of Political Science and Law, Wuhan University and Jinan University respectively. Together, the parties will promote the implementation of competition policy and improve the level of antitrust enforcement in a joint effort. Pursuant to the agreements, the PSAMB will launch a series of deep cooperation in decision-making consultation, theoretical research and talent training. The signing ceremony was attended by DG Zhang Handong and hosted by DDG Li Qing.3

SAIC Signs MoU with CMA to Further Cooperation in Competition Law

During his visit of U.K. from December 14 to 20, Vice Minister of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce ("SAIC") Liu Junchen met with President of Competition and Markets Authority ("CMA") David Currie and subsequently signed the Memorandum of Understanding between SAIC of the People's Republic of China and CMA of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Liu said that with the increasingly frequent economic interaction between China and UK, the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding will further the communication and cooperation between the two countries in competition and consumer protection issues.4

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Footnotes

1 http://gkml.hubei.gov.cn/auto5472/auto5473/201612/t20161215_928465.html

2 http://www.shaanxi.gov.cn/0/103/11849.htm

3 http://jjs.ndrc.gov.cn/gzdt/201612/t20161221_832040.html

4 http://www.saic.gov.cn/ywdt/gsyw/zjyw/xxb/201612/t20161227_173738.html

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