China to End 2600 Year Salt Monopoly

A symbolic policy move, in the good sense of the word.

China to end state monopoly on salt dating back centuries

China is to end a monopoly over the production and sale of table salt, its official broadcaster said on Thursday, dismantling a system that has been in place in various guises for more than two thousand years and run by a state monopoly since 1950.

The move reflects Beijing's drive to deregulate state-run sectors to encourage greater competition among firms and tackle inefficiencies in the market.