China will use fiscal and financial incentives to encourage consolidation in a number of industries, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Miao Wei said on Monday.

In a sign of shifting policy focus, Miao said that instead of mandatory, administrative-oriented consolidation, the industry regulator will do more to create a sounder environment for mergers and acquisitions.

"We should refrain from the heavy-handed approach of the planned economy time, when 'forced marriages' were pushed by the government and violated companies' will," he said. "Instead, we should foster a better environment for M&As."