China's antitrust law enforcement not discriminatory: official

BEIJING - All market entities are equal in the enforcement of China's Antitrust Law, an official said on Thursday.

Most antitrust cases so far have involved Chinese enterprises, and there is no selective enforcement targeting foreign-funded or overseas enterprises, said Zhang Xiangchen, vice negotiation representative for international trade with China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

He made the remarks at a meeting between trade representatives from the United States and representatives from Chinese anti-monopoly law enforcement agencies, including the MOC, the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.

The MOC closed 1,143 cases from the time the Antitrust Law was enacted in 2008 through the end of June.

China's Antitrust Law aims to protect fair competition in the market, improve efficiency in economic performance and safeguard consumers' interests, Zhang said.

Unlike the United States, which has more than 100 years of experience in antitrust law enforcement, China is new to the field and expects some problems, he said, adding that the country is open to advice on how to improve.