All enterprises — state-owned, private, domestic and foreign — are subject to equal treatment to ensure a level playing field, said Xu Lefu, director-general of SAMR's Antimonopoly Enforcement Bureau Two.
China's State Administration for Market Regulation, or SAMR, has flagged 15 merger cases with competition concerns over the past three years, underscoring its commitment to reinforce antitrust enforcement and uphold fair competition.
At a press conference, Xu Lefu, director-general of SAMR's Antimonopoly Enforcement Bureau Two, said all enterprises — state-owned, private, domestic and foreign — are subject to equal treatment to ensure a level playing field.
Over the past three years, SAMR blocked Wuhan Yongtong Pharmaceutical's 2019 acquisition of Shandong Beida Gaoke Huatai Pharmaceutical and conditionally cleared 10 cases, including the Synopsys–Ansys deal.
It also penalized 38 cases of unlawful merger implementation and conducted strict, ongoing supervision of 37 conditional approvals.
The regulator said these actions safeguarded fair competition in semiconductors, port shipping, agriculture, aviation and pharmaceuticals, and helped prevent monopolistic conduct in areas tied to national livelihoods.
Xu also reviewed the results of a three-year pilot program that entrusted merger reviews to five provincial regulators to streamline oversight and improve efficiency. The program, launched on Aug. 1, 2022, in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Chongqing and Shaanxi, concluded on July 31, 2025. SAMR has now formalized the fast-track merger review system starting Aug. 1.
During the three-year pilot, provincial regulators reviewed 1,288 merger filings and concluded 1,162 cases, with average acceptance and review periods of 16.9 and 17.4 days, respectively — broadly in line with SAMR's own pace.
The streamlined process has significantly improved efficiency in merger review, Xu said. This year, the average acceptance and review times fell further, to 14.7 and 17.9 days, with an overall review period of just 32.6 days.
Provincial regulators highlighted their role in the pilot. In Chongqing, the local regulator concluded 207 cases involving deals valued at more than 772.7 billion yuan ($107.5 billion), said the local deputy director Xu Jun.
The bureau cut average review times from 19.04 days in 2022 to 16.83 days currently, while tightening scrutiny of filing materials. Fourteen cases were withdrawn for failing to meet simplified-filing conditions, and one was converted into a formal investigation due to "gun-jumping" behavior.
Meanwhile, SAMR is drafting new regulatory documents, including guidelines for non-horizontal merger reviews, updated filing standards and a practical manual for provincial-level regulators.
To enhance oversight, SAMR has built an "1+3+7" smart supervision system for merger control, consisting of one compliance risk alert mechanism, three full-chain review and investigation platforms, and seven supporting databases.
A nationwide compliance risk alert mechanism is already operational, with SAMR receiving around 25 consultation calls each week.
Source: MLex
