China blocks utility merger in second below-threshold prohibition
By MLex Staff ( January 23, 2026, 07:52 GMT | Insight) -- China's antitrust regulator blocked a joint venture among five bottled gas suppliers in southern Guangdong Province, marking its first ban in the utilities sector. This is the second time it prohibited a deal that fell below mandatory filing thresholds, signaling SAMR's willingness to scrutinize deals based on competitive harm rather than size alone.China’s antitrust regulator blocked a joint venture among five bottled gas suppliers in southern Guangdong Province, marking its first ban in the utilities sector and the second time it prohibited a deal that fell below mandatory filing thresholds....
Prepare for tomorrow’s regulatory change, today
MLex identifies risk to business wherever it emerges, with specialist reporters across the globe providing exclusive news and deep-dive analysis on the proposals, probes, enforcement actions and rulings that matter to your organization and clients, now and in the longer term.
Know what others in the room don’t, with features including:
- Daily newsletters for Antitrust, M&A, Trade, Data Privacy & Security, Technology, AI and more
- Custom alerts on specific filters including geographies, industries, topics and companies to suit your practice needs
- Predictive analysis from expert journalists across North America, the UK and Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific
- Curated case files bringing together news, analysis and source documents in a single timeline
Experience MLex today with a 14-day free trial.