The European Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding which creates a dedicated framework to strengthen cooperation and coordination between the Commission and two of China's Anti Monopoly Enforcement Authorities, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC).

The European Commission and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding to increase cooperation between the European Commission's competition department and China's antitrust authorities. The Memorandum covers legislation, enforcement and technical cooperation regarding cartels, other restrictive agreements and the abuse of dominant market positions. In May 2012, MEPs called on the EU to act together to fight China's unfair trade practices.

According to Joaquín Almunia, Commission Vice President in charge of competition policy the Memorandum of Understanding is an important step and a sign of EU commitment to further deepen its already excellent relations with the Chinese Anti Monopoly Enforcement Authorities. The Commission also highlighted that the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding sends a positive signal for an intensified cooperation on competition matters between the EU and China, the second most important trading partner of the EU.

Under the new framework, the parties may engage in discussions on competition legislation and share non-confidential information on competition investigations. The Commission has engaged actively in cooperation with competition authorities of many countries outside the EU. Cooperation with some of them is based on bilateral agreements dedicated entirely to competition (so-called "dedicated agreements").