China is expected to follow its recent antitrust move against two telecoms operators with similar action in other sectors such as technology, according to legal experts and industry executives.

On November 9 the price supervision and anti-monopoly bureau at the National Development and Reform Commission made the surprise announcement that it was investigating China Telecom and China Unicom, the two state-owned fixed-line carriers, for allegedly abusing their dominant market position to keep competitors out of the broadband business. If found guilty, they face fines of up to 10 per cent of 2010 broadband revenues.

Experts believe probes into other sectors could follow, with implications for a number of big Chinese companies listed in Hong Kong and New York. “It can be seen as a message to the world that this part of the anti-monopoly law is now open,” said Gerry O’Brien, a consultant at Mayer Brown, the law firm, in Hong Kong.