Watchdog to protect rights of consumers

China's top commerce watchdog has pledged to step up its efforts to tackle anti-competitive practices as a three-month nationwide campaign gets underway.

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce said in a notice released on its website on Wednesday that market supervision authorities nationwide will investigate anti-competitive activities from Thursday until the end of November.

"Currently, commercial bribery, sabotage of competitors, fraud, counterfeiting and other anti-competitive acts are rampant, angering the public," the administration said in the notice.