Foreign Investment Guide of the People's Republic of China (2024 Edition)

Opening up is a basic state policy of China. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China pointed out that "opening up is a defining feature of Chinese modernization. We must remain committed to the basic state policy of opening to the outside world and continue to promote reform through opening up. Leveraging the strengths of China's enormous market, we will enhance our capacity for opening up while expanding cooperation with other countries and develop new institutions for a higher-standard open economy". China is committed to high-standard opening up and works for an economic globalization that is more open, inclusive, balanced, and beneficial to all.

In the process of building a new development paradigm in China, foreign-invested enterprises play a unique bridging role in connecting domestic and international circulations and optimizing the allocation of resources and factors of production. China has been proactively fostering an enabling market environment in which all enterprises, domestic and foreign, are treated as equals and engaged in fair competition, adopting policies to promote high-standard liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and deeply implementing the system of pre-establishment national treatment plus negative lists. With such efforts, China continues to improve its attractiveness to foreign investors. For the past few years, faced with changes in the external environment, the country has pursued a more proactive strategy of opening up in a bid to promote reform and development more vigorously through high-standard opening up and deepen mutually beneficial international economic and trade cooperation. China has leveraged the strengths of its enormous market, attracted global resources and production factors with our strong domestic economy, amplified the interplay between domestic and international markets and resources, and steadily expanded institutional opening up with regard to rules, regulations, management, and standards. The country has continuously optimized the foreign investment environment, made appropriate reductions to the negative list for foreign investment, and protected the rights and interests of foreign investors in accordance with law. China has also better planned regional opening up, upgraded pilot free trade zones, and worked faster to develop the Hainan Free Trade Port.

To build a more transparent business environment and facilitate trade and investment, the Department of Foreign Investment Administration and the Investment Promotion Agency of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) have compiled and published the Foreign Investment Guide of the People's Republic of China every year since 2020, comprehensively introducing the market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment of China. The Foreign Investment Guide of the People's Republic of China (2024 Edition) has a new structure revised according to the new circumstances and policies, based on the summary of past compilation experience. The main body is composed of seven chapters, namely Meeting China, Ample Investment and Development Opportunities, Remarkable Advantages in Investment Environment, Highly Law-Based Policy Environment, Procedures for Foreign Investment, Working and Living in China as Business Expatriates, and Overview of Provinces (Autonomous Regions and Municipalities), with an attached Directory of Institutions that Handle the Complaints of Foreign-invested Enterprises. The new edition has also updated and supplemented relevant policies and initiatives, various types of data, and administrative procedures. It is worth noting that this Guide is designed to help foreign investors understand the investment environment in China and inquire about relevant policies and measures. It is not intended as the basis for law enforcement or application for policy benefits. Please refer to official documents for policy implementation. Due to the wide scope of materials collected and organized, if there are any omissions, we kindly invite readers to provide valuable feedback and suggestions so that we can make continuous improvements. The Guide will be released in Chinese and English. It is hoped that the Guide will be helpful for foreign enterprises and investors.

Full text: Foreign Investment Guide of the People's Republic of China (2024 Edition)

Source: Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China