Review №35 of Chinese Antitrust News from the Experts of the BRICS Competition Centre
- 8 Platforms Sign a Food Safety Commitment
- SAMR Reminds Market Players of the Need to Avoid Violations During the 11.11 Sales Period
- Reuters: GM Demands That Suppliers Abandon Chinese Components
- NEA: Strengthening the Regulation of Natural Monopolies
- Annual Conference of the Asian Competition Law Association
- Initiative for Universal Digital Well-Being
- Reports on Internet Development in China and Worldwide for 2025
- European Commission Investigation Into Chinese Company CRRC
8 Platforms Sign a Food Safety Commitment
Under the guidance of SAMR, eight Chinese food-delivery platforms — JD.com, Meituan, Pinduoduo, Douyin E-commerce, Xiaohongshu, Taobao, WeChat (Mini Programs) and Kuaishou E-commerce — signed a self-regulation convention on food safety oversight. They outlined six concrete steps:
- хverifying the qualifications of food producers and vendors operating on the platforms;
- using AI and big data technologies for online checks of food labeling, advertising, sales and reviews;
- maintaining a shared blacklist of unscrupulous suppliers;
- implementing cross-platform restrictive measures based on the principle “one violation — restrictions across the entire network”;
- assisting law-enforcement authorities;
- remaining under broad public supervision.
Source: SAMR
SAMR Reminds Market Players of the Need to Avoid Violations During the 11.11 Sales Period
On 10 November, ahead of the year’s largest shopping event on 11.11 (Singles’ Day), SAMR issued guidelines for online marketplaces. During major promotional campaigns, platforms tend to employ unfair practices in pursuit of profit, and the regulator emphasized the need to comply with laws and fair-business standards. The document requires platforms to:
- fulfill their responsibilities as market entities (monitor supplier data, ensure compliance control, maintain openness and fairness in platform rules);
- avoid unfair promotion practices (e.g., forcing exclusive cooperation, changing promotion terms, abusing big-data tools, etc.);
- refrain from unjustified pressure on supplier pricing;
- prevent violations during livestream marketing;
- conduct strict reviews of advertisements;
- process consumer complaints in a timely manner.
Source: SAMR
Reuters: GM Demands That Suppliers Abandon Chinese ComponentsGM
According to anonymous Reuters sources, General Motors has demanded that several thousand of its suppliers find alternatives to Chinese-made raw materials and components. The ultimate goal is to remove all links of the supply chain from Chinese territory. The company has set a deadline for the end of 2027.
In 2024, GM had already approached some suppliers with such a request, but in the context of heightened U.S.–China trade tensions, the demand has gained new urgency. GM representatives said the measure is part of a broader strategy to increase supply-chain resilience.
Source: Reuters
NEA: Strengthening the Regulation of Natural Monopolies
At a press conference of the National Development and Reform Commission, Xu Xin, a representative of China’s National Energy Administration (NEA), noted that China’s Energy Law explicitly supports the participation of all types of market entities in competition within the energy sector. In recent years, the NEA has been strengthening regulation to promote openness of power-grid infrastructure and oil- and gas-pipeline facilities to all market participants. The government has introduced bidding systems for the exploration rights of oil and gas fields, and liberalized electricity distribution and retail: over 90% of consumers buy electricity through retail companies. Authorities also encourage private investment in direct-connection grid projects.
At the same time, it is important to enhance oversight of industries characterized by natural monopolies, such as power-grid interconnection infrastructure and oil- and gas-pipeline services.
Source: WeChat
Annual Conference of the Asian Competition Law Association
On 1 November 2025, the annual conference of the Asian Competition Law Association was held at Seoul National University. The event brought together specialists in competition law, renowned scholars and leading practitioners from jurisdictions including China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam and India. Across five sessions (“Competition Agency Roundtable”, “Cartels”, “M&A Control”, “Unilateral Conduct”, “Competition and Regulation”), participants discussed major challenges and recent developments in competition law in the digital era. This year’s conference introduced an AI-based simultaneous-interpretation system, which generated real-time subtitles in Chinese, English and Japanese.
Source: WeChat
Initiative for Universal Digital Well-Being
As part of President Xi Jinping’s 2021 Global Development Initiative, the Cyberspace Administration of China, together with the China Institute of International Studies, launched the initiative for universal digital well-being. It calls for joint research and cooperation in the digital economy to ensure that the benefits of its development are shared by all. This includes:
- improving the accessibility of digital infrastructure;
- adopting green technologies;
- ensuring fair and inclusive application of AI technologies;
- developing digital tools for rural areas;
- enhancing digital literacy;
- creating accessible and user-friendly digital services;
- expanding international cooperation.
Source: CAC
Reports on Internet Development in China and Worldwide for 2025
The “2025 China Internet Development Report” and the “2025 World Internet Development Report” were presented on 8 November at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen (eastern China). Compiled under the guidance of the Chinese Academy of Cyberspace Studies, these reports have been published annually for nine consecutive years since 2017.
The China report summarizes achievements and trends in the country’s internet development over the past year, including the expanding potential of advanced technologies such as AI, blockchain and quantum computing; progress in cybersecurity systems; and improvements in the online business environment.
The global report reviews worldwide Internet development from a global perspective, including trends toward intelligent and eco-friendly upgrades; innovation driven by AI technologies; the strengthening of cybersecurity capabilities in major countries and regions; regulation of public data use and cross-border data flows; and the coexistence of cooperation and competition in key areas such as technological R&D, standard-setting and infrastructure development.
Source: CAC
European Commission Investigation Into Chinese Company CRRC
The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation into possible market distortions caused by foreign subsidies. The probe will examine whether subsidies granted to the Chinese state-owned rolling-stock manufacturer CRRC gave it an unfair advantage in a public-procurement tender for light-rail vehicles in Portugal. The Commission preliminarily believes that the Portuguese subsidiary CRRC (Tangshan Rolling Stock Unipessoal) may have distorted the internal market due to receiving subsidies.
Following the investigation, the Commission may impose remedies to offset the harm to competition, prohibit the contract award, or issue a decision of no objection. Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy Stéphane Séjourné stated: “Europe's openness depends on all participants playing by the rules. Protecting our Single Market from distortions is essential to ensure fair competition, support companies that compete on merit, and safeguard the Union's economic security.”
Source: European Commission
