IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Beijing

Price controls on salt to be ended

China will remove price controls on the salt market to foster competition, the country's top economic planner said on Sunday. The move will put an end to the nation's State monopoly on the salt industry, which stretches back about 2,000 years. Prices will be decided according to the operating costs of businesses, product quality and market conditions starting on Jan 1, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.