# State Administration for Market Regulation

The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR; 国家市场监督管理总局) is a Chinese ministerial-level agency directly under the State Council of the People's Republic of China responsible for market supervision and management. SAMR was established in 2018. It is China's primary antitrust regulator.

## Function

SAMR is China's primary antitrust regulator, although its authority also has some overlap with the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.$^{:29}$ It also has regulatory functions involving data regulation and labor issues.$^{:39}$ The E-Commerce Law is part of SAMR's broader mandate, and therefore it is a significant regulator in the area of e-commerce in China.$^{:114}$
As of at least 2024, the SAMR provincial agencies for Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai have been particularly active in antitrust enforcement.$^{:30}$
SAMR's antitrust enforcement approach has been more stringent than pre-SAMR enforcement, and has remained more stringent as of at least early 2024.$^{:111}$

## History

The Administration was created in the 2018 Chinese overhaul of government administration, and merged or abolished a number of previous agencies, such as the State Intellectual Property Office. SAMR was created under the banner of the Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission under Xi Jinping, current General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.
The Administration consolidates in one ministry the market regulation functions previously shared by three separate agencies, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), and the State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC).
In 2018, SAMR began a probe into Pinduoduo following the company being criticized extensively in domestic media for its selling of shanzhai and counterfeit products.$^{:34}$
In November 2020, SAMR issued antitrust guidelines which addressed platform economy company issues.$^{:111}$ These guidelines came into effect in February 2021.$^{:111}$ Among other provisions, the guidelines state that variable interest entity structures will no longer be exempt from merger review and that SAMR may investigate acquisitions of emerging platforms even when the parties turnover does not meet notification thresholds.$^{:111}$
In March 2021, Xi Jinping stated that China would strengthen anti-trust enforcement to ensure healthy healthy and sustainable development of the platform economy.$^{:100}$ In November 2021, SAMR's antitrust bureau was upgraded to vice ministerial status following the appointment of Gan Lin as the bureau's new chief.$^{:100}$

## Leadership

| Director Zhang Mao (March 2018-May 17, 2019) Xiao Yaqing (May 17, 2019 – August 2, 2020) Zhang Gong (August 2, 2020 – June 13, 2022) Luo Wen (June 13, 2022 – ) Deputy Directors Bi Jingquan (March 2018-August 2018, take the blame and resign) Ma Zhengqi (March 2018-May 2019) Gan Yulin (March 2018 – Present) Tang 　jun (March 2018 – Present) Tian Shihong (March 2018-and Director of the National Standardization Management Committee) Sun Meijun (March 2018-January 2021) Qin Yizhi (March 2018-Minister level) Xiong Maoping (March 2021 – Present) Other members of the bureau meeting Jiao Hong (March 2018-Director of the State Drug Administration) | Party branch secretary Bi Jingquan (March 2018-August 2018, take the blame and resign) Zhang Mao (September 2018-May 17, 2019) Xiao Yaqing (May 17, 2019 – July 31, 2020) Zhang Gong (July 31, 2020 – Present) Deputy Party branch secretary Zhang Mao (March 2018-September 2018) Party branch members Ma Zhengqi (March 2018 – May 2019) Tang Jun (March 2018 – present) Tian Shihong (March 2018 –; also Director of the Standardization Administration of China) Liu Shi (March 2018 - March 2020, leader of the Disciplinary Inspection & Supervision Group of Dispatched by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervision Commission in the State Administration for Market Regulation) Sun Meijun (March 2018 – January 2021) Qin Yizhi (March 2018-Ministerial level) Chen Yugang (March 2018 – Present) Shen Changyu (March 2018 -, concurrently Director of the State Intellectual Property Office and Secretary of the Party Leadership Group) Liu Junchen (March 2018-November 2018) Li Li (March 2018 -, concurrently Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and deputy director of the State Drug Administration) Yang Yizheng (March 2020-Leader of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Group of the State Supervision Commission of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in the State Administration for Market Regulation) Xiong Maoping (March 2021 – Present) |