A concept photo of digital city Illustration: VCG

China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced on Tuesday the start of a new inspection campaign targeting unfair competition, in a bid to maintain the high-quality development and innovation of the market.  

The campaign will crack down on unfair competition in cyberspace and residential consumption, and move to secure enterprises' core competitiveness. 

The SAMR vowed to inspect fake purchase records as well as fake feedback and advertising, in order to secure the development of the digital economy. The campaign will enhance regulations for business activities to cover areas including bribery in medicine, catering and the tourism industry, further improving market confidence and consumption.
 
Protection for enterprises' core competitiveness will be highlighted in the campaign, which will be conducted by solidifying the protection of business secrets and credit, aiming to inspire enterprises' innovation. 

The SAMR said in March 2023 that it would promote revision of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law, following the amendment of the Anti-Monopoly Law last year, aiming to create a fair and impartial market environment.

The draft revision of the law was opened to public opinions from November 22 until December 22 last year. The law aims to improve the anti-unfair competition rules for the digital economy, prohibiting operators from engaging in unfair competition by using data, algorithms, and platform rules.

Experts said that the Anti-Unfair Competition Law focuses on a wider range of industry players and not just market monopolies, as a clear and broad law is necessary for industries to develop in a healthy and orderly manner.