PRESS RELEASE 2019-018
20 November 2019 

PH, China competition authorities ink MoU for technical cooperation

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) of the People’s Republic of China signed yesterday a memorandum of understanding (MoU), in a move to strengthen bilateral ties on competition law enforcement.

PCC Chair Arsenio Balisacan and SAMR Minister Xiao Yaqing led the signing ceremony on Tuesday, agreeing to lay down a general framework for cooperation in competition enforcement, including exchange of information, coordination of enforcement activities, notification of cases of mutual interest, as well as technical cooperation and capacity building.

“Our MoU marks the start of a productive partnership between the PCC and SAMR, recognizing that international cooperation is essential to safeguard competition in today’s increasingly borderless and dynamic markets,” said PCC Chair Balisacan.

The move is part of PCC’s efforts to work closely with its international counterparts, including its active engagement with the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition, the International Competition Network (ICN), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Competition Division.

Earlier this year, PCC also coordinated with the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) on the Grab and Uber merger case, carried out exchange programs with the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)  and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), and hosted a study visit for the Myanmar Competition Commission (MmCC).

“The PCC considers foreign competition authorities as partners and allies toward our shared commitment to promote and protect competitive markets and combat cross-border cartels,” Chair Balisacan added.

The MoU will also provide a mechanism for PCC and SAMR to conduct joint dialogues on economic issues and developments in their respective competition policies, as well as on other matters of mutual interest.

SAMR is China’s consolidated state agency exercising market supervision responsibilities spanning competition, intellectual property, business registration, and product safety and standards, among others.