Washington, DC - Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez and Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division participated in high level bilateral meetings with officials responsible for China’s three anti-monopoly agencies – National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Vice Minister Hu Zucai, Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) Assistant Minister Tong Daochi, and State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) Vice Minister Wang Jiangping.

The meetings took place beginning this morning in Washington, D.C., and allowed the participating agencies to exchange information and views on antitrust developments and priorities. In addition, the agencies discussed the role of competition enforcement and advocacy in promoting innovation. The meetings will continue this afternoon and tomorrow with separate meetings between U.S. antitrust enforcers and each of the three Chinese agencies.

This is the third joint, high-level consultation between the agencies since the Justice Department and the FTC signed an antitrust memorandum of understanding with the Chinese antitrust agencies on July 27, 2011. The MOU is designed to promote communication and cooperation between U.S. and Chinese antitrust enforcement agencies and provides for periodic high-level consultations.