Sino-foreign joint-venture hospitals in China: what the interim measures for joint venture medical institutions set out

This page sets out what the text of China's Interim Measures for the Administration of Sino-foreign Equity and Cooperative Joint Venture Medical Institutions (中外合资、合作医疗机构管理暂行办法) says, as published on the gov.cn policy library, and how three institutions describe their own structure. It is not legal advice. It does not rate or recommend any institution.

The text and its date

The measures were issued by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation as order 11, on 15 May 2000, to take effect on 1 July 2000. The English renderings below are ours, and this page does not say whether the text has been changed since.

What the text says

Definition. The measures define a Sino-foreign equity or cooperative joint venture medical institution as one set up in China by foreign medical institutions, companies, enterprises and other economic organisations together with Chinese ones, in a joint venture or cooperative form, on the principle of equality and mutual benefit and with approval from the Chinese government authority. In the text, in China excludes the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions, and this applies throughout the text.
Parties. Both the Chinese and foreign parties must be legal persons able to bear civil liability. Each must have experience directly or indirectly in healthcare investment and management, and must meet at least one of three listed requirements: providing internationally advanced management and service models, providing internationally leading medical technology and equipment, or supplementing or improving local service capacity, technology, funds and facilities.
Conditions. The institution must be an independent legal person. Total investment must be not lower than 2000万元人民币. The Chinese party's share of equity or interest must be not lower than 30 percent. The joint venture or cooperation period must not exceed 20 years. Provincial-level or higher health administrations may set other conditions.
First step. An application starts with the health administration department of the city divided into districts where the institution is to be located.
Branches. A Sino-foreign joint venture medical institution may not set up branches.
Wholly foreign-owned institutions. Applications to set up a wholly foreign-owned medical institution in China are not approved under these measures.
Local rules. Provincial-level health and foreign-trade administrations may make specific provisions based on the measures.

How three institutions describe their own structure

These are the institutions' own wordings. This page has not checked them against any register, and it does not say that any of them was set up under the measures.

Shanghai East International Medical Center. Its Company Profile page describes it as a joint-venture general hospital.
Shanghai General Hospital's International Medical Care Center. The center's English page describes it as a join-venture medical facility (the page's spelling) founded in 1993.
Parkway Shanghai Hospital. Parkway's page says the hospital was codeveloped by Parkway Pantai and Shanghai Hongxin Medical Investment Holding Co Ltd.

Questions people ask

Does the 2000 text allow a wholly foreign-owned hospital?

The text says applications to set up a wholly foreign-owned medical institution in China are not approved.

What minimum investment does the 2000 text set?

It sets total investment of not lower than 2000万元人民币.

What minimum Chinese share does the 2000 text set?

It sets the Chinese party's share of equity or interest at not lower than 30 percent.

Sources

Each source above was read on the date shown. This page is an unofficial summary of general information. It is not published by the bodies named above and is not legal or medical advice. If it differs from their own pages, their own pages prevail, and rules may change after the check date.

Details come from the hospital’s own English or bilingual page as read on the dates shown in each source note; this is an unofficial summary, not medical advice, and may have changed since. Medical and legal notice.