For international investors looking at opportunities in China,
this summer has been largely a waiting game. Investors have been
waiting and hoping as the Chinese government and the Trump
administration continue their discussions aimed at resolving the
current trade dispute, and watching for guidance on specifics of
implementation of China’s new Foreign Investment Law, which
was promulgated on March 15, 2019 and will come into effect on
January 1, 2020.
As we continue to wait, one of few concrete developments in
China’s regulation of foreign investment was the issuance of
an updated set of Negative Lists -- namely, the Special
Administrative Measures on Access to Foreign Investment (2019
edition) (the “National List”) and the Free Trade Zone
Special Administrative Measures on Access to Foreign Investment
(2019 edition) (the “FTZ List”) -- and an accompanying
new Catalogue of Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment (the
“Catalogue”). All of these documents were
