Anti-trust team lacks real muscle for enforcement

Despite sweeping probes into antitrust cases, China's antitrust team - government law enforcement officers and lawyers representing companies - is falling short in dealing with complicated cases.

While legal experts agree that government regulators have made good progress in investigation and law enforcement since China passed its Anti-Monopoly Law in 2008, penalties are sometimes inconsistent and enforcement lacks the capability to challenge the dominant State-owned enterprises.

Fines issued by local bureaus of the State Administration of Industry and Commerce in 2013 vary from place to place, even though they target the same industry with similar monopolistic practices, according to a five-year review by Beijing Lawyers Association.