Beijing vows to stick to neutrality in dealing with State-owned enterprises

China will maintain its neutral stance for market competition and offer companies of all categories of ownership a level playing ground, the regulator of China's State-owned assets and enterprises said on Monday.

Peng Huagang, spokesman for the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, said the target of the country's State-owned enterprises reform and reshuffling is to turn SOEs into independent entities that are truly self-managed, self-disciplined and able to assume full responsibility for their own profits and losses.

Peng was responding to recent media speculation that some giant SOEs are taking advantage of difficulties experienced by some listed private companies by acquiring or merging with them at bargain prices.