China’s Catalogue of Industries Encouraging Foreign Investment (2025 Edition) in effect 1 February 2026
26 February 2026
On 1 February 2026, China’s Catalogue of Industries Encouraging Foreign Investment (2025 Edition) (“Catalogue”), issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce, came into effect.
The Catalogue is an important policy for promoting foreign investment in China, as well as a significant policy for foreign-invested industries and regions. The revised and issued version of the Catalogue is a crucial measure to attract and utilise foreign investment more effectively, with the overall consideration being to implement the decisions and plans of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on stabilising foreign investment, and to guide more foreign investment towards advanced manufacturing, modern services, high technology, energy conservation and environmental protection, as well as the central and western regions and the northeast.
This revision incorporates feedback from foreign-invested enterprises, foreign business associations, industry associations, relevant experts, relevant departments, local governments, and an online public consultation. The new version of the Catalogue contains a total of 1679 items, a net increase of 205 items and a revision of 303 items compared to the 2022 version. Among them, the National Catalogue of Industries Encouraged for Foreign Investment (“National Catalogue”) contains 619 items, with 100 items added and 131 items revised; the Catalogue of Advantageous Industries for Foreign Investment in the Central and Western Regions (“Regional Catalogue”) contains 1060 items, with 105 items added and 172 items revised.
The main changes are as follows:
- Encouraging and guiding foreign investment in advanced manufacturing: The National Catalogue has added or expanded relevant entries in areas such as end products, components, and raw materials, thereby improving the development level of the industrial chain and supply chain.
- Encouraging and guiding foreign investment in modern service industries: The National Catalogue has added or expanded relevant entries in areas such as business services, technical services, scientific research, and service consumption, promoting the high-quality development of the service industry.
- Encouraging and guiding foreign investment in the central and western regions, the northeastern region, and Hainan Province: The scope of the Regional Catalogue has been expanded based on local resource endowments, unique advantages, and actual industrial development.