SAMR vows fairer market environment

China is looking to play a bigger role in shaping global antitrust rules, especially in the artificial intelligence era, as senior market regulator officials and renowned industry experts vowed to boost antitrust at home while expanding international cooperation.

Speaking at the 11th International Forum on Fair Competition Policy of China in Beijing on Monday, Luo Wen, head of the State Administration for Market Regulation, said that China would continue to refine its antitrust and anti-unfair competition laws, build a unified national market and push for "transparent, stable and predictable" rules for businesses at home and abroad.

Luo said China "actively participates in global fair competition governance", citing cooperation agreements signed with 37 jurisdictions and competition chapters in 19 free trade deals. "We will make China's market a stage for global innovation and win-win cooperation," he said.

He added that Chinese authorities would improve the legal framework, enforce against cartels and abuse of dominance, and step up scrutiny of mergers, while eliminating local protectionism to accelerate the building of a unified national market.

Wang Liming, a member of the expert advisory group of the State Council's anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition commission, said powerful platforms are increasingly using algorithms to enable "millisecond-level price coordination" and to package price discrimination as personalized recommendations.

"Although more than 60 countries and regions have introduced relevant regulations, there is still no coordinated governance framework," Wang said.

He called for new global mechanisms under platforms such as the G20 and APEC, including common standards for algorithm transparency and data governance, a cross-border merger review system, and even international dispute resolution mechanisms to address competition policy conflicts.

Wang warned that seemingly neutral rules such as technical standards or environmental requirements could become "invisible barriers" if used to exclude rivals.

"Competition policy should be a bridge for global prosperity, not a weapon of conflict," he said.

China has been beefing up antitrust efforts, following a major overhaul of its legal framework. SAMR Antitrust Chief Wang Tiehan said regulators have investigated 31 monopoly cases and more than 21,000 unfair competition cases since 2024, while reviewing over 1,100 merger filings.

Wang said the revised anti-unfair competition law now includes provisions on abuses of data rights and digital platforms, and regulators have issued guidelines covering areas from standard-essential patents to pharmaceutical industry bribery risks.

He said, "We will strictly investigate monopolistic and unfair practices that damage overall industry competitiveness and distort ecosystems, ensuring that good money wins the market."

Wang pledged to crack down on local governments that abuse administrative power to block competition, calling the creation of a national unified market a "strategic move related to China's long-term development".

Tech executives at the forum said China's regulatory stance had given them breathing space to innovate in AI.

Wen Jia, head of public affairs at Alibaba Group, said that the company expects more AI-driven innovation to emerge, as AI was already transforming industries from entertainment to e-commerce.

"China's top market regulator creates a friendly regulatory environment that allows companies to experiment. We have every reason to believe that under this innovative and friendly environment, more innovations, driven by AI, will continue to emerge, and the business environment will continue to improve," Wen said.