Beijing, July 19 - The Ministry of Commerce has completed draft rules to regulate the expansion of large retail stores that might disproportionately affect foreign retailers, state media reported on Wednesday.
The regulations are awaiting final approval from the cabinet, the official China Securities Journal reported.
The rules would impose a slew of new restrictions on the building of large retail stores, which would also become subject to a public hearing process, the newspaper cited unnamed Ministry of Commerce sources as saying.
The regulations would also require local governments to submit detailed commercial planning blueprints, a move aimed at avoiding the bunching of stores that could lead to excessive retail competition, the newspaper said.
It said foreign chains such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour would be disproportionately affected by the new rules because most of the big new supermarkets and shopping malls in China were built by international retailers.
Many local retailers have expressed concern about the growing influence of foreign chains, which have made significant inroads into the Chinese market in recent years.
Assistant Minister of Commerce Huang Hai was cited this month by local media as saying the new rules would apply the same standards to domestic and foreign companies.