Farewell MII. Hello MII.

After ten years, China's Ministry for Information Industry has been phased out. In its place, reflecting the government's new emphasis on "industralization" and "informatization", is the Ministry for Industry and Information.

The new MII retains all its old functions of administering telecom carriers, hardware and software firms, setting IT and comms standards and regulating internet content.

But as one of five new "super-ministries", it now has carriage of industry development across all of the telecom, IT and electronics sectors. And tobacco.

It is taking off the hands of its arch-rival, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), all of the industry development functions it formerly held.

Broader focus

The NDRC,...