Foreign Investment Guide of the People's Republic of China (2025 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." Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that China will remain steadfast in reform and opening up. China's door will only open wider. The policy of utilizing foreign investment has not changed and will not change.

Foreign-invested enterprises are important participants in Chinese modernization, key players in China's reform, opening up, and innovation, and crucial participants in connecting China with the world and integration the country in economic globalization. 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 and win-win 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, advanced voluntary and unilateral opening up in a well-ordered way, and steadily expanded institutional opening up with regard to rules, regulations, management, and standards. China has continuously shortened the negative list for foreign investment and introduced a series of policies to stabilize foreign investment. It has created the brand of "Invest in China", enhanced services and support for foreign-invested enterprises, and protected the rights and interests of foreign investors in accordance with the law, in an effort to foster a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized and create a stable, transparent, and predictable policy environment. China has also optimized regional opening up, upgraded pilot free trade zones, and worked faster to develop the Hainan Free Trade Port. Foreign-invested enterprises can fully leverage their advantages and capabilities in China to gain a competitive edge in the global market.

To help foreign investors understand the investment environment in China and inquire about relevant policy measures, 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. The Foreign Investment Guide of the People's Republic of China (2025 Edition) has a revised structure according to the new circumstances and policies. The main body is composed of eight chapters, namely Meeting China, Innovative Ecosystems Open Up New Blue Oceans for Investment, Vast Market Size Offers Ample 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 appended Directory of Institutions that Handle the Complaints of Foreign-invested Enterprises, Compilation of Major Laws and Policies Related to Foreign Investment in China, and Relevant Guidelines for Business Operations Issued by Various Departments. 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 not intended as the basis for law enforcement or application for policy incentives. 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 (2025 Edition)

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