China has begun the process of revamping its legal regime for foreign investment. On January 19, 2015, the Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”), the ministry charged with regulating foreign investment in China, issued a new draft Foreign Investment Law (the “Draft Law”), representing China’s attempt to unify the governance of foreign and domestic private investment. Comments on the Draft Law are due back to MOFCOM by February 17th, though we understand from informal conversations with MOFCOM officials that actual promulgation of the law is likely at least two years away. MOFCOM’s early outreach for comments is being viewed positively by the foreign business community in China. 

Here, we present a series of blog posts on the Draft Law. From today into next week, we will post analysis and commentary on a number of its key features (see below for list of topics).

Foreign investment in China has long been closely monitored and controlled by the Chinese government, with all foreign investment required to undergo a government approval process that can often be onerous and opaque. The review of foreign investment is usually more rigorous and time consuming than that required for domestic investment. For example, the documents used to establish a foreign invested enterprise (“FIE”) must undergo substantive review by MOFCOM — a requirement not imposed on most domestic investment projects — with terms agreed by all parties not always given deference by the authorities.

The process is complicated further by the fact that foreign investment is governed by a fragmented and sometimes conflicting set of laws and regulations enacted over a period of decades. Currently, three core foreign investment laws — governing wholly foreign-owned enterprises (“WFOEs”), equity joint ventures, and cooperative joint ventures, respectively — together with China’s Company Law, which applies to all enterprises in the country, govern foreign investment in China. The ad hoc development of China’s foreign investment law has resulted in inconsistencies between regulations governing FIEs and China’s developing body of corporate law, sometimes confusing investors and even local government officials.

In recognition of these difficulties, and also considering global trends in investment liberalization and bilateral negotiations currently underway with both the United States and the EU, China’s leadership proposed a revamp of the current investment regime during the November 2013 Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (the “Third Plenum”). In particular, it made three key proposals related to China’s foreign investment regime:  

  • First, it called for applying the principle of national treatment more broadly to foreign investment. Under the national treatment principle, foreign investment would be treated the same as domestic investment, and exceptions to equal treatment would be carved out and listed in a “negative list.” With national treatment, review by MOFCOM (or another designated body) would become the exception, rather than the rule, for entry into the Chinese market.
  • Second, the Third Plenum proposed to unify the domestic and foreign investment regime. Thus, FIEs, which are currently governed by a set of core foreign investment laws as well as the Company Law (and consequently subject to two systems of corporate governance), would fall under the governance of a single body of corporate law.
  • Third, the Third Plenum proposed the creation of a National Security Council and the strengthening of national security review in order to address threats to the state, both within and outside of China.

The draft Foreign Investment Law adopts these three proposals from the Third Plenum and sets forth three systems in order to implement them: (1) a market entry review system, applicable to foreign investments captured by the negative list; (2) an information reporting system, applicable to all foreign investments (whether or not captured by the negative list), which ostensibly places additional reporting burdens on FIEs; and (3) a national security review system, applicable to any foreign investment that jeopardizes or threatens to  jeopardize China’s national security. In addition, the Draft Law includes an expansive definition of foreign investment that would be subject to regulation under this new investment regime.

During this series, we will post discussions of the following topics:

(1) Comparison of the Draft Law with the existing investment regime;

(2) Analysis of the Draft Law’s new market entry requirements and penalties;

(3) Review of the expanded definition of foreign investment and additional reporting obligations for foreign investors;

(4) Analysis of the impact of the Draft Law on “VIE” (variable-interest entity) structures, which are commonly used by China’s internet companies that have listed on overseas exchanges; and

(5) Overview of the expansion and solidification of the national security review process.

We look forward to expanding on these topics and hearing your comments.

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Photo of Ashwin Kaja Ashwin Kaja

With over a decade of experience in China, Ashwin Kaja helps multinational companies, governments, and other clients understand and navigate the complex legal and policy landscape in the country. He plays a leading role in Covington’s China international trade and public policy practices…

With over a decade of experience in China, Ashwin Kaja helps multinational companies, governments, and other clients understand and navigate the complex legal and policy landscape in the country. He plays a leading role in Covington’s China international trade and public policy practices and, outside of Covington, serves as the General Counsel of the American Chamber of Commerce in China.

Ashwin helps clients solve acute problems that arise in the course of doing business in China and position themselves for longer-term success in the country’s rapidly evolving legal and policy environment. He is an expert on Chinese industrial policy and has worked on matters related to a wide range of sectors including technology, financial services, life sciences, and the social sector. Ashwin has also counseled a range of clients on data privacy and cybersecurity-related matters.

As the General Counsel of the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China), Ashwin serves as a senior officer of the organization and as an ex officio member of its Board of Governors, supporting nearly one thousand member companies in developing their businesses in China and advocating for their needs with China’s central and local governments.

Photo of Timothy P. Stratford Timothy P. Stratford

Tim Stratford is senior counsel and a member of the firm’s International Trade, Corporate, and Public Policy Practice Groups. He is also serving as Chairman Emeritus of the American Chamber of Commerce in the People’s Republic of China. Tim’s practice is focused on…

Tim Stratford is senior counsel and a member of the firm’s International Trade, Corporate, and Public Policy Practice Groups. He is also serving as Chairman Emeritus of the American Chamber of Commerce in the People’s Republic of China. Tim’s practice is focused on advising international clients doing business in China and assisting Chinese companies seeking to expand their businesses globally. Except for the five years he spent in Washington, DC as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (2005-2010), Tim lived and worked continuously in the greater China region from 1982-2023, including for twelve years as managing partner of the firm’s Beijing office.

As Assistant USTR, Tim was responsible for developing and implementing U.S. trade policy toward mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Mongolia. He worked closely with other senior U.S. and Chinese officials from numerous government departments and agencies to address problems encountered by companies engaged in bilateral trade and investment and co-chaired a number of important bilateral working groups and dialogues established under the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade and the U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue.

Prior to serving at USTR, Tim was General Counsel for General Motors’ China operations, where he was a member of GM’s senior management team in China and oversaw the company’s legal and trade policy work. Tim also served previously as Minister-Counselor for Commercial Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and as three times as Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Brigham Young University, and is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese.