BEIJING - An official with the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Tuesday that the MOC has conducted anti-monopoly reviews on 179 cases so far this year, up 52 percent year-on-year.

Of the total, the ministry approved 151 cases, rejected five, while conditionally approving four cases, including the latest endorsement of the acquisition of Samsung Electronics' hard disc drive business by the United States' Seagate Technology.

The surge in the cases involving anti-monopoly reviews was due to more international investors opting for acquisitions to strengthen competence after the financial crisis broke out, said Shang Ming, chief of the Anti-monopoly bureau under the MOC.

It was also because many enterprises needed to apply for reviews after production capacities expanded, Shang said.

Shang added that the enforcement of anti-monopoly law in China is fair and just. The country gives the same treatment for all applicants while conducting anti-monopoly reviews.