This study is the third CF competition policy project to support China in establishing a competitive market system and to achieve the country’s long-term strategic economic development objectives -- goals announced at the 3^rd Plenum of the 18^th Central Committee of the CPC in November 2013. The study commenced in July 2019 and focuses on competition in and regulation of China’s rapidly growing digital economy. The study is aimed at providing Chinese policymakers with an assessment of the key competition policy and regulatory issues in China’s digital economy as well as globally, and suggestions on how such a policy could be designed and implemented in China by taking account of the country’s conditions and of policy initiatives being considered in some advanced countries.

This study has assembled a team comprising some of the very best Chinese and international experts on competition in the digital economy. As in all CF economic policy research studies, this study will produce a Main Report that will be submitted to relevant Chinese policymakers and policymaking bodies. The Main Report is essentially a synthesis of the key issues and policy recommendations contained in the various background reports prepared by the Chinese and international experts.

The Main Report, together with all the background reports of the experts, will be published as a book which we hope can raise greater awareness of the issues among the academic community, the general public and market participants in China – all of whom should play a key role in bottom-up policy enforcement by reporting abuses. The study will complete by the end of 2020 and the book is expected to be published in early 2021.