Market-access classification & strategy
China's Negative List defines the narrow set of sectors where foreign investment is restricted or prohibited — everything outside it is open and treated no less favorably than domestic investment.
China's Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Foreign Investment is updated annually, and the direction of travel has been gradual liberalization. But “restricted” sectors (certain telecom, media, and education services) still require a Chinese controlling partner, and a handful of “prohibited” sectors remain closed.
We run your product and business plan against the current List — and the shorter free-trade-zone versions — to determine whether your sector is Encouraged, Permitted, Restricted, or Prohibited, then design the market-access path: a direct WFOE, a capped-equity JV, a VIE structure, or a holding-and-contracting arrangement.
Reference: Foreign Investment Law (2020) · Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Foreign Investment Access
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