MEDICAL AND DENTAL SERVICES

Commercial Presence in China
  • Foreign suppliers of medical or dental services may establish joint venture hospitals or clinics with Chinese partners, with foreign majority ownership permitted, subject to quantitative limitations “in line with China’s needs.”
  • The majority of doctors and medical personnel of a joint venture must be Chinese nationals.
Presence of Natural Persons in China
  • Foreign doctors with professional certificates issued by their home country may provide short-term treatment (defined as six months but may extend to a year) after they obtain licenses from the Ministry of Public Health.
  • Managers, executives, and specialists of a representative office, branch, or subsidiary in China, temporarily moving as intra-corporate transferees, will be permitted an initial stay of three years.
  • Managers, executives, and specialists of foreign-invested enterprises in China will be granted a long-term stay permit as stipulated in the terms of contracts concerned or an initial stay of three years, whichever is shorter.
  • Service salespersons who are not based in China, and who meet certain other conditions set forth in China’s services schedule, are limited to a 90-day stay.
Cross-Border Supply of Services
  • The cross-border supply of medical and dental services is not subject to market access restrictions and is accorded national treatment.
Consumption of Services Abroad
  • The provision of medical or dental services outside of China is not subject to market access restrictions and is accorded national treatment. 
Acquired Rights of Foreign Service Suppliers
  • The conditions of ownership, operation, and scope of activities for an existing foreign service supplier, as set out in the supplier’s contract or shareholders’ agreement or in a  license establishing or authorizing the supplier’s operation or supply of services, will not be made more restrictive than they were on December 11, 2001.

December 2001
Department of Commerce
International Trade Administration
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