September 2014

Authored by Michael Gu (michaelgu@anjielaw.com) and Yu Shuitian at AnJie Law Firm

Introduction

On 11 September 2014, China’s three antitrust law enforcers held a joint press conference in defense of the recent antitrust probes into multinationals including Microsoft and Japanese auto parts and bearing manufacturers. Issues surrounding the probes came to light after U.S. and European trade groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the European Union Chamber of Commerce said PRC antitrust investigators were unfairly targeting foreign businesses. Director General Mr. Shang Ming of the Anti-Monopoly Bureau of Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”), Director General Mr. Xu Kunlin of the Price Supervision and Anti-Monopoly Bureau of National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”) and Director General Ms. Ren Airong of AntiMonopoly and Anti-unfair Competition Enforcement Bureau of State Administration for Industry and Commerce (“SAIC”) attended the press conference. They spoke on their respective Anti-Monopoly Law (“AML”) enforcement positions and answered questions. In particular, they offered updates on the status of several high-profile cases, responded to criticism on selective law enforcement and lack of procedural fairness and transparency. Continue Reading Chinese Competition Authorities Hold Joint Press Conference in Response to Criticism from E.U. and U.S. Trade Groups

Authored by Dr. Zhan Hao (zhanhao@anjielaw.com) and Dr. Annie Xue at AnJie Law Firm

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) handed down antitrust penalties totaling 1.24 billion yuan on 12 Japanese companies in the past August, including eight auto parts makers and four bearing manufacturers. This action came after a series of global crackdown on auto parts price cartels taking place in the U.S., the EU, Japan and Singapore, while reinforcing the trend of the Chinese antitrust authorities following their counterparts in other major antitrust regimes, especially the U.S. and the EU. Continue Reading China’s Follow-on Public Antitrust Enforcement Intensifies

Authored by Michael Gu (michaelgu@anjielaw.com) and Shuitian Yu at AnJie Law Firm

Introduction

Less than 2 weeks after the record fine (USD 200 million) in the Japanese Auto Parts and Bearing Manufacturers case that shocked the auto parts industry [1], on 2 September 2014, the Chinese price monopoly regulator, NDRC released its decisions [2] to impose combined fines of RMB 110 million (USD 17.89 million) on 23 property insurance companies and a local trade association in Zhejiang province for their price fixing in relation to car insurance. Among the companies involved in the case, one company is fully exempted and two other are granted significant reduction of the fines. Investigations into the Zhejiang branches of other nine insurance companies were terminated because those nine companies had not fixed prices or reached monopoly agreements.Continue Reading Better Late Than Never: NDRC Publishes Full Decisions on Zhejiang Car Insurance Cartel Case – Analysis of NDRC’s Antitrust Law Enforcement Approach

Authored by Dr. Zhan Hao (zhanhao@anjielaw.com) and Wu Shanshan from AnJie Law Firm

On August 14, 2014, State Council promulgated Several Guiding Opinions Regarding Accelerating the Development of Modern Insurance Services (“New Guideline”) based on the original version of Guiding Opinions [1] issued by State Council in June 15 2006. The New Guideline is deemed as the essential impetus to PRC insurance industry.

 

Continue Reading State Council Issues New Guideline To Accelerate Insurance Development