On December 29, 2011, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) released the Foreign Investment Industrial Guidance Catalogue, Amended in 2011 (2011 Catalogue), which will become effective on January 30, 2012.

First published in 1995 (and revised in 1997, 2002, 2004, and 2007), the Foreign Investment Catalogue has been the principal policy guidance regarding investment by foreign companies in China. It sets out in detail the industrial sectors where foreign investment is (i) encouraged, (ii) restricted, or (iii) prohibited. Industrial sectors not listed in the Foreign Investment Catalogue are generally considered to be “permitted,” i.e., fully open to foreign investment but not benefiting from specific advantages such as tax incentives. In April 2011, a draft revised version of the catalogue was issued to solicit public comments. NDRC and MOFCOM finalized the 2011 Catalogue in December 2011 partly based on the comments they had received. The 2011 Catalogue clearly shows the Chinese government’s increasing desire to encourage foreign investment in high technology, high-end manufacturing, clean energy and energy saving, environmental protection, and modern services, among other sectors.