ABSTRACT
Competition laws promote economic efficiency and social welfare by prohibiting restrictive business practices and creating a level playing field for firms. More than eighty countries now have competition laws (Pitofsky 1998). The Philippines was the first East Asian country to introduce a competition law, under American rule in 1925. Japan’s Antimonopoly Law was passed in 1947, again under US occupation. It was not until the 1980s and 1990s that most other regional countries enacted competition laws. This chapter surveys the current state of competition policy in three East Asian economies-Japan, China and Hong Kong. It looks at the effectiveness of these policies and how well they are being enforced, and examines the lessons that can be learnt from the experiences of these countries.
