Rules to help deter patent abuse leading to monopoly

China's top market regulator on Nov 8 issued guidelines to strengthen regulations on antitrust behaviors pertaining to standard essential patents.

The guidelines, unveiled by the State Administration for Market Regulation, consist of six chapters and 22 articles. The document has defined standard essential patents-related concepts, put forth analysis principles for antitrust behaviors and established a set of supervision rules, among others.

A standard essential patent is a patent that protects an invention essential to a particular technology standard. In the era of the digital economy, technology standardization plays an important role in enhancing product interconnectivity, promoting international and domestic trade and boosting economic growth.

With rules clearly laid out, the guidelines will help promote fair market competition and protect the driving forces of industrial innovation and development, according to the administration.

As standard essential patent licensing covers a wide spectrum of industries and involves increasingly diverse entities and complex modes, antitrust supervision and enforcement are faced with challenges.

Private business entities surpass 180 million

The number of private business entities in China exceeded 180.86 million by the end of September, accounting for 96.37 percent of the country's total business entities, the State Administration for Market Regulation said on Nov 6.

Of the total, 55.54 million were private companies while over 125.32 million were classed as self-employed.

A large number of private business entities are engaged in the services sector — in categories such as accommodation and catering, residential services, wholesale and retail trade, as well as transportation, storage and postal services, the administration revealed.

China has long promoted the development of its private sector and has consistently pursued the creation of a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment.

In October, China published a draft law on private sector promotion to solicit public opinion. The draft of the private sector promotion law was open for public comment until Nov 8.

Efforts to intensify rural infrastructure upgrade

Chinese authorities have vowed to promote rural development with a focus on improving infrastructure and the quality of life for rural communities.

At a recent nationwide rural development conference in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, it was stressed that agricultural and rural departments at all levels should intensify efforts to meet the specific needs of rural residents.

According to the meeting, efforts will be made to keep pushing for the "toilet revolution" in rural areas, which aims to increase both the number and sanitation level of public toilets.

It was required that coordinated efforts should be made in improving waste and wastewater management. Authorities should tackle the problem of waste pollution by introducing policies and technical guidelines that suit local conditions.

The meeting also stressed efforts to steadily improve basic public services with such measures as establishing age-friendly facilities and upgrading village health clinics.