The State Council, China's cabinet, will grant crude oil import quotas to "qualified" refineries, which experts say is a step forward in trimming large State-owned refiners' import monopoly.

The No 83 Document from the cabinet, issued on July 27, mainly focuses on promoting imports and exports.

The document said the central government may grant oil import rights to more refineries beyond the dominant companies, taking into account standards for environmental protection, security and energy consumption during the refining process.