An Analysis of the Guidelines of China’s Unified Market

The new plan of building a national unified market was released in early 2022, indicating the urgency of breaking down local protectionism and market segmentation at the current stage of economic development. This article examines the driving forces of the new plan and the plan’s relationship with the “dual circulation” strategy proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. It also analyses the major barriers to building a unified market and the impacts on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the short run and in the long run.