Anti-Monopoly Photo: CFP

China’s State Council, the cabinet, has appointed Gan Lin as the new head of the country’s anti-monopoly bureau under the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), according to an announcement published on the website of Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of China on Monday.

Gan’s appointment represents another substantial step by Chinese government to accelerate the crackdown on market monopolies which stifles free competition, analysts say. 

Since the end of 2020, China has mounted an anti-monopoly fight targeting a range of industries, including the digital economy. Giant internet platform enterprises including Meituan, Alibaba and Tencent were scrutinized and fined by SAMR for their monopolistic measures.

"Compared with other major anti-monopoly law enforcement agencies in the world, China's government agencies have fewer staff, therefore the anti-monopoly supervision needs to be strengthened with more recruits," Wu Zhenguo, former head of the SAMR's anti-monopoly bureau, said in an interview in May.

SAMR plans to recruit 33 new staff workers in its 2022 civil servant intake, with 18 designated to enter the anti-monopoly bureau, more than half of the total planned new hires, SAMR said.

Global Times