Yu, Liangchun; Zhang, Wei --- "Research on the intensity and effect of industrial administrative monopoly in China" [2013] ELECD 998; in Faure, Michael; Zhang, Xinzhu (eds), "The Chinese Anti-Monopoly Law" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2013) 194

Book Title: The Chinese Anti-Monopoly Law

Editor(s): Faure, Michael; Zhang, Xinzhu

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781781003237

Section: Chapter 5

Section Title: Research on the intensity and effect of industrial administrative monopoly in China

Author(s): Yu, Liangchun; Zhang, Wei

Number of pages: 24

Abstract/Description:

China’s economic reform is a gradual process, which embodies a clear characteristic that the government’s economic power is continuingly decentralized to other participants. However, at present in many important industrial sectors in China, administrative power still plays an important, even decisive role in entrance, restrictions and pricing. This phenomenon we describe as an industrial administrative monopoly, which means government agencies use public power to restrict competition.1 As a specific phenomenon in transitional economies, administrative monopoly not only characterizes the features of industrial organization in many industries, but also becomes an important issue in the design of competition policy in transitional countries. Under administrative monopoly, competition is suppressed, and efficiency of resource allocation is distorted. Particularly in an economic environment between a market economy and a planned economy system, an administrative monopoly may easily lead to rent-seeking, which would cause great corruptions. The concept of administrative monopoly was proposed in the 1980s,but it has not been possible to be study the importance of administrative monopoly academically due to China’s three decades of rapid economic growth and increasing welfare increase cover; also, at the same time, private economic agents arising from market competition have difficulties in accessing particular industries with economies of scale.