For foreign travelers planning to do business in China, the 2025 Foreign Investment Access Negative List is a core policy document that must be thoroughly understood. Adhering to the core principle of “listing all prohibited items, and allowing access to all non-prohibited items”, it clearly defines the boundaries of industries where foreign capital can enter freely, enter with approval, or be prohibited from entering. Without professional policy interpretation capabilities, you can quickly clarify the compliance of your business direction. This article creates a popular interpretation guide specifically for foreign travelers, abandoning obscure policy terms, disassembling the core content of the list in straightforward language, focusing on explaining the three major categories of industries: “accessible, approval-required, and forbidden”, with practical tips to help foreign business operators accurately avoid policy red lines, efficiently plan their businesses in China, and easily start their business journey in China.
On April 24, 2025, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued the “Market Access Negative List (2025 Edition)”. Compared with the 2022 Edition, the number of items on the list has been reduced from 117 to 106, a decrease of 11 items. The national specific management measures and local management measures have also been reduced simultaneously, further relaxing restrictions on foreign investment access and expanding the scope of opening up. It is worth noting for foreign travelers that the list implements the principle of “non-prohibited access”, meaning that foreign capital can enter all industries outside the list equally in accordance with the law without additional approval, fully guaranteeing national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises, and making the business planning of foreign business operators more stable and predictable.
I. Free Access Without Approval (First Choice for Foreign Business, Lowest Threshold)
This is the most relaxed category for foreign investment access, and also the first choice for foreign travelers to start initial and small-scale businesses in China. Such industries are not included in the negative list. Foreign capital can directly establish enterprises and carry out business activities without applying for special approval from relevant departments. The process is completely consistent with that of domestic-funded enterprises, and only routine industrial and commercial registration and tax registration are required, which greatly reduces the access threshold.
Key Recommended Industries (suitable for foreign travelers’ business needs, high-frequency and easy to implement): 1. Modern Service Industry: Including cross-border trade, freight forwarding, vehicle rental, commercial retail, catering and accommodation, general consulting services (such as business consulting, tourism consulting), etc. No special qualifications are required, which is suitable for foreign travelers to carry out business relying on their own resources. Especially in fields such as cross-border trade and catering and accommodation, foreign travelers can give full play to their cross-border and cultural advantages; 2. High-Tech Related Industries: Artificial intelligence, software development, information technology services, biomedical R&D (non-confidential), electronic equipment R&D and sales, etc. The 2025 Edition of the list further relaxes restrictions on such industries, allowing foreign capital to hold 100% of the shares without joint ventures or cooperation with domestic-funded enterprises; 3. Manufacturing Industry (non-restricted categories): General mechanical equipment manufacturing, clothing and footwear processing, daily necessities production, toy R&D and manufacturing, etc. There is no restriction on the proportion of foreign capital holdings, and production bases can be freely established to carry out production and sales business; 4. Other Popular Fields: Education and training (non-compulsory education stage, such as language training, vocational skills training), cultural and creative design, e-commerce, logistics and distribution (general goods), etc., all of which allow free access without approval.
Popular Tip: As long as you operate in compliance with the law and declare truthfully, you can carry out business freely in such industries without worrying about policy restrictions. The 2025 Edition of the list has also canceled the previous approval requirements for the preparation of pharmaceutical wholesale and retail enterprises, and the Internet information services of drugs and medical devices. Relevant fields have also been included in the scope of free access, further expanding the choice space for foreign business operators.
II. Access with Approval, Compliance Required (Threshold Exists but Operable, Prepare in Advance)
Such industries are included in the “restricted category” of the negative list. Foreign capital can enter, but it can only carry out business after meeting specific conditions and obtaining approval from relevant departments. They mainly involve fields related to national industrial security and public interests. The approval process is clear and the standards are clear. As long as you prepare relevant materials in advance, you can successfully complete the approval without excessive worry.
Key Industries and Approval Points (popularly disassembled, easy to understand): 1. Financial Field: Banks, securities, insurance, fund management, etc. Foreign capital can enter, but it needs to obtain approval from regulatory authorities such as the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission and the China Securities Regulatory Commission, with a clear proportion of foreign capital holdings (some fields have been relaxed to 100% foreign capital holdings). The core of approval is to provide capital certificates, business qualification certificates, senior management qualification certificates, etc.; 2. Medical Field: Medical institutions (such as hospitals, clinics), production and sales of medical devices (Class III medical devices), which need to obtain approval from health departments and drug regulatory departments, focusing on reviewing medical qualifications, practitioners’ qualifications, equipment safety standards, etc.; 3. Telecommunications Field: Basic telecommunications services (such as broadband, mobile communications), value-added telecommunications services (such as online car-hailing platforms, live streaming platforms), which need to obtain approval from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, with clear restrictions on the proportion of foreign capital holdings (some fields of value-added telecommunications services allow 100% foreign capital holdings), and also need to comply with network security requirements; 4. Other Approval-Required Industries: Oil and gas exploration and development (need to obtain approval from natural resources departments, specifying the exploration area and time limit), public utilities (such as water supply, power supply, heating, need to obtain approval from relevant local government departments), civil unmanned aerial vehicle operation (except micro unmanned aerial vehicles), which need to obtain approval from relevant competent departments to ensure compliance with safety management requirements; 5. Education Field (compulsory education stage): Foreign capital can participate in cooperative education, but it needs to obtain approval from education departments, and the proportion of domestic capital holdings shall not be less than 51%. Foreign capital is prohibited from establishing compulsory education stage schools alone; 6. Cultural Field (part): Cinemas, performance brokerage institutions, etc. Foreign capital can enter but needs approval, with clear restrictions on the proportion of foreign capital holdings, and also needs to comply with cultural content supervision requirements.
Popular Tip: The approval process can be booked and materials submitted online through the “China Government Service Network” (supporting English interface), or handled on-site at the foreign-related special window of the local government service center, where staff will provide multilingual assistance. It is recommended to prepare materials 3-6 months in advance to avoid delaying business development; the approval result will be announced within the specified time limit, and the progress can be queried online. Business can be carried out only after the approval is passed to avoid violations.
III. Forbidden Access, Firmly Avoid (Red Lines Cannot Be Touched, Avoid Losses)
Such industries are included in the “prohibited category” of the negative list. They mainly involve key fields related to national security, public security, ecological security, and social public interests. Foreign capital is not allowed to enter in any form (wholly-owned, joint venture, cooperation). This is an insurmountable policy red line that foreign travelers need to focus on avoiding to prevent losses caused by violations.
Key Prohibited Industries (popularly listed, accurate avoidance of pitfalls): 1. Related to National Security: Military industry, national defense science and technology fields (such as weapons and equipment R&D, production, sales), construction and operation of confidential information systems, news media (such as newspapers, radio, television, etc.). Foreign capital is completely prohibited from entering to resolutely safeguard national information security and national defense security; 2. Related to Public Security: Production of fireworks and firecrackers, production and sales of civil explosives, production and sales of crossbows, etc. Such industries are extremely risky and related to public security, so foreign capital is prohibited from entering; 3. Related to Ecological Security: Mining and smelting of radioactive minerals, high-pollution, high-energy-consuming industries that do not meet environmental protection standards (such as backward chemical industry, metallurgy, etc.). Foreign capital is prohibited from entering to conform to China’s green development concept; 4. Related to Social Public Interests: Independent operation in the compulsory education stage (mentioned earlier, emphasizing the prohibition of wholly-owned operations), operation of religious activity venues, gambling industry, pornographic service industry, etc. Foreign capital is prohibited from entering to maintain social morality; 5. Other Prohibited Industries: Tobacco monopoly production (retail can be freely accessed, production is prohibited), salt production (retail can be freely accessed, production is prohibited), postal universal service (express business can be freely accessed, universal service is prohibited), Chinese medicinal materials planting (some confidential varieties), etc., which clearly prohibit foreign capital participation.
Popular Tip: There are no exceptions for prohibited industries. Even indirect participation methods such as “cooperative operation” and “entrusted management” are illegal. Once investigated and dealt with, the business qualification will be revoked, illegal gains will be confiscated, and even legal responsibilities will be pursued. If you are not sure whether an industry is prohibited, you can consult the foreign-related service department of the local Bureau of Commerce in advance to obtain a clear reply.
IV. Core Changes of the 2025 Edition List and Practical Tips for Foreign Business Operators
Core Changes (popular summary): Compared with the 2022 Edition, the biggest highlight of the 2025 Edition list is “relaxing restrictions and reducing items”. 11 items have been deleted, mainly concentrated in the manufacturing and service industries. For example, the restrictions such as “foreign-invested crop seed production and operation must be controlled by Chinese parties” and “foreign capital establishing gas stations must be controlled by Chinese parties” have been canceled, further expanding the scope of free access for foreign capital; at the same time, the simplified approval process for some industries has been clarified, implementing “one-stop online handling” and “parallel approval”, shortening the approval time limit, and providing convenience for foreign business operators.
Practical Tips (suitable for foreign travelers’ needs): 1. Inquiry Channels: The “Market Access Negative List (2025 Edition)” can be downloaded from the official websites of the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce (both have English versions), or popular interpretation manuals (multilingual) can be obtained from local government service centers; 2. Consulting Channels: When encountering problems such as uncertain industry attribution and unclear approval processes, you can call the national government service convenience hotline 12345 (supporting English service), or consult the foreign-related special windows of the local Bureau of Commerce and Administration for Market Regulation; 3. Compliance Reminder: When foreign capital enters the Chinese market, it must strictly follow the principle of “non-prohibited access, prohibited non-access, and restricted access with approval”. Do not take chances to operate in violation of regulations. Compliant operation is the premise of long-term business in China; 4. Dynamic Attention: The list will be adjusted every year according to China’s opening-up policies. It is recommended that foreign business operators regularly pay attention to official announcements, timely grasp the latest policy changes, and adjust their business plans.
Summary: The core of the 2025 Foreign Investment Access Negative List is “relaxation, transparency, and convenience”, providing clear policy guidance for foreign travelers to do business in China – industries outside the list can be accessed freely without approval; restricted industries need to go through approval in advance and can be accessed if they meet the conditions; prohibited industries must be firmly avoided and red lines cannot be touched. As long as you thoroughly understand this list, clarify the category of your business industry, make preparations in advance, and declare in compliance, you can successfully start your business journey in China and fully enjoy the development opportunities brought by China’s opening up.
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