OREANDA-NEWS. July 25, 2013. A delegation of competition authorities of the People’s Republic of China led by General Director of the Antimonopoly Bureau of the PRC Ministry of Commerce, Mr. Shan Min, had a working visit to the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia). For the first time FAS welcomed a delegation of its Chinese colleagues simultaneously representing three antimonopoly agencies of the People’s Republic of China: the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the National Development and Reforms Commission (NDRC) and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC).

The parties emphasized good neighbourly relations and productivity of the long-term cooperation between Russia and China in antimonopoly policy. Both delegations stated that Russian-Chinese mutual work is one of their priorities.

The two delegations discussed prospective cooperation, the main areas of their work in the field of competition policy. For instance, the parties informed each other about the main tasks, scope of powers and structure of their agencies, the issues of enforcements of the antimonopoly law in the two countries and international aspects of the agencies’ work. The delegation of PRC competition authorities also discussed specifics of the system of antimonopoly regulation in China.

Deputy Head of FAS Anatoly Golomolzin informed the Chinese colleagues about the latest developments in FAS international activities, including cooperation with such international organizations as OECD and UNCTAD, and the efforts of the Interstate Council on Antimonopoly Policy (ICAP) of the CIS member-states, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2013, the Headquarters for joint investigations of the violations of the antimonopoly law by the CIS member-states, and the Working Groups on competition in pharmaceutical sector and on pricing on the markets of oil and oil products.

Anatoly Golomolzin also informed representatives of PRC competition authorities about the forthcoming Competition Day in Russia in Irkutsk in September 2013 and on behalf of Russia’s competition authority invited them to take part in the event.

As part of their visit to Russia, the delegation of PRC competition authorities will also visit Primorie OFAS Russia in Vladivostok to study experience of the work of regional FAS Offices in antimonopoly enforcement.

The system of antimonopoly regulation in China

Under the antimonopoly law of China, on 1st August 2008 a National Antimonopoly Commission was formed to control enforcement of the new antimonopoly law. The main functions of the Commission are: studying and policy-making in the field of competition regulation; organizing investigations, analysing the general competitive status of markets and preparing consolidated reports; drafting and publishing antimonopoly guidelines; coordinating efforts of antimonopoly enforcement bodies. It is essential that the Commission is authorized to coordinate law enforcement without being a professional law enforcement body, its role is to control, coordinate and devise policy as well as coordinate commercial and financial policies.

The Commission also coordinates the work of three governmental bodies responsible for implementing the antimonopoly policy and enforcement: the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the National Development and Reforms Commission (NDRC) and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC).