China's top market watchdog on Sunday approved Keysight Technologies' acquisition of Spirent Communications with restrictive conditions, with the aim of ensuring fair competition in the global communications industry.

Involving major global suppliers of communications testing products, the deal will further strengthen Keysight's control on the global and Chinese markets for high-speed Ethernet testing products and network security testing products, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation.

Fully considering the potential adverse impacts of the transaction on competition, the administration imposed restrictive conditions, such as divesting related businesses with serious competition problems, to maintain the original competition pattern.

Noting that communications testing products are the foundation for the development of the communications industry, the administration said the conditional approval of the deal ensures fair participation of other suppliers and protects the options of downstream customers, including communications operators, "creating an environment of fair competition for healthy and orderly development of the global communications industry."

The administration added that it will supervise and guide Keysight and Spirent to implement the decision of conditional approval and effectively maintain the fair competition order in relevant markets.