Zhongxin Finance, March 11 (Shi Rui) "Strengthening anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition", this is the second consecutive year that anti-monopoly has appeared in the government work report.
Compared with last year, this year's government work report clearly will further promote the implementation of the fair competition policy.
"This year's government work report put forward the anti-monopoly requirements again, in order to further and continuously improve the business environment, maintain fair competition, and stimulate market vitality to a greater extent, so as to promote the sustainable and healthy development of my country's market economy in the future."
In 2022, Zhongxin Finance and the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University will launch the "Two Sessions Economic Observation". Professor Chen Guoquan of the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University explained the role of promoting anti-monopoly policies in an exclusive interview with the "China New Observation" column of Chinanews.com.
Chen Guoquan, a professor at the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University.
Photo courtesy of Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management
Monopolies create inertia, reduce vitality, and breed corruption
With the rapid development of the new economy in China, the abuse of market dominance such as "choose one out of two" has occurred frequently, which has aroused social concern.
Data from the work report of the Supreme People's Court shows that in 2021, the people's courts will conclude 49 monopoly cases and 7,478 unfair competition cases.
Chen Guoquan believes that with the deepening of the development of the market economy, it is inevitable that there will be some monopoly operations in the market, which has led to the unfortunate consequences of one dominant company in certain industries, excluding its peers from market competition.
Monopolistic behavior not only deprives other participating enterprises of fair competition opportunities and harms the interests of consumers, but also in turn makes monopolized enterprises inert, reduces vitality, and breeds corruption.
Therefore, policy should set "traffic lights" for capital.
In recent years, the Chinese government has introduced a series of measures aimed at anti-monopoly and preventing the disorderly expansion of capital, which have achieved remarkable results.
According to the government work report, this year will further promote the implementation of the fair competition policy.
At the beginning of the year, the nine departments have jointly issued the "Several Opinions on Promoting the Healthy and Sustainable Development of the Platform Economy", proposing to investigate and punish acts such as monopoly and unfair competition in the platform economy.
It is recommended to establish a dynamic evaluation system for "industry monopoly status"
How to better implement anti-monopoly policy?
Chen Guoquan suggested that relevant government departments can establish dynamic assessment, early warning and handling mechanisms and action measures for "potential" and "existing" "industry monopoly status".
He explained: First, relevant government departments should collect information on the development of various industries and the operation and behavior of participants in competition, and make effective assessments of "potential" and "existing" and "industry monopoly status".
Second, early warning of "potential" monopolistic behavior of enterprises.
Third, deal with the "existing" monopoly behavior of enterprises according to law.
In this process, relevant government departments can establish public information collection channels to obtain monopoly-related information from enterprises and consumers.
Leading enterprises must maintain innovation and healthy development in moderate competition
From the perspective of enterprises, Chen Guoquan believes that it can be divided into two categories. The leading enterprises currently in the development of the industry should always carry out competition activities rationally and reasonably in accordance with the requirements of the country's anti-monopoly law, and do not abuse various illegal activities. means to exclude competing peers, but to maintain the rights and space of other peers to participate in market competition activities.
"Mutual and fair competition not only maintains a good business environment, but also enables leading companies to maintain crisis awareness, innovation capabilities and healthy development in a moderately competitive business ecosystem."
For companies that are not at the top of the industry, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, on the one hand, they must actively carry out learning and innovation to improve their business level and competitiveness, and on the other hand, they must be good at using anti-monopoly legal weapons to protect their own legitimate rights and interests, and strive to create a business environment that benefits others.
"In fact, all enterprises participating in the market economy work together to establish a fair business environment. From a longer-term time and a larger space, it can take into account efficiency and fairness, which is beneficial to the healthy development of all enterprises." Chen Guoquan analyzed.
Consumers are a huge force in antitrust
Chen Guoquan also emphasized the importance of consumers in antitrust.
He believes that consumers, as buyers of corporate products and services, are also victims of monopolistic behavior.
Therefore, once consumers find monopolistic behavior in the market, they should not tolerate it. Instead, they should take up legal weapons and actively report to relevant government departments through reasonable and legal channels and methods, so as to help reduce and eliminate monopolistic behavior.
"The reasonable and legal behavior of consumers is a huge force in anti-monopoly, and it can play an important role in maintaining a fair business environment." Chen Guoquan said.
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