With the aims to create a platform for communication among domestic and abroad professionals and scholars through discussion, the third China Competition Policy Forum was held in Beijing on May 21, 2014.

With rapid economic development in the last decade, frequent international mergers have posed threats to the Chinese market. “As China’s competition law has been six years’ old, it is time for us to further discuss it with an international group of professionals to learn from each other in order to better act against monopolies and maintain a fair competitive environment in China,” says Xu Kunlin, head of the anti-monopoly bureau at the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

Xu has particularly stressed the fact that anti-monopoly was first mentioned in the The Decision on Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reforms adopted at the close of the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee. In the paper, it encourages the market to play a decisive role. Therefore, the enhancement of building a fair trade market through anti-monopoly laws has become an imperative task.

One of the most important changes to the market in 2014 is the alternation of capital registration system, says Ren Airong, director of the Anti-Monopoly and Anti-Unfair Competition Bureau of the SAIC. The new registration system leads to a significant increase in market players. The next move is to enhance regional antitrust efforts and remote authorization jurisdiction mechanism.

The round table discussion session focused on the coexistence of competition policy and other related policies in market. Professionals from the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Singapore and other countries shared their own experience of the implementation of anti-trust laws.

Some of China’s competition law situations were also discussed during the forum, which is sponsored by the Expert Advisory of the State Council Anti-monopoly Commission, American Bar Association Section of Antitrust Law and Competition Law Centre of University of International Business and Economics.