As we are approaching the year end, people speculating whether the period of serious crackdowns, especially antitrust, is over.
Yes, companies like Meituan and Alibaba have all paid fines for anti-competition behaviour in the past. However, the regulatory antitrust movement is far from over.
A week ago, China officiated National Anti-Monopoly Bureau, which will work in the same building as the now famous State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). The director of the bureau will carry the administrative rank of deputy minister.
With such a promotion of the rank and status of anti-monopoly officials, they would be expected to perform well in their new duties. Hence, hunting for and dealing with more monopoly cases would be a big priority for the next 1-2 years at least.
The targets might not be the same tech companies we have seen in the past, but the pressure across all sectors will definitely be high.