不过，之后政策便再次转变。2015年3月13日，国家发改委和商务部发布的修订版《外商投资产业指导目录》，将医疗机构纳入限制类。2017年，国务院发布的《外商投资产业指导目录》再次明确，医疗机构的参与形式仅限于合资、合作。直到2024年，政府工作报告提出，将放宽医疗等服务业市场准入。此次政策的出台，标志着中国医疗市场对外开放迈出了关键一步，预示着我国医疗行业即将迎来一场深层次的变革。China plans to allow the establishment of wholly foreign-owned hospitals in multiple regions.
According to the Zhongtong Finance APP, on September 8th, the Ministry of Commerce, the National Health Commission, and the State Drug Administration issued a notice on expanding pilot projects in the medical field. It is planned to allow the establishment of wholly foreign-owned hospitals (except for traditional Chinese medicine and the acquisition of public hospitals) in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and the entire Hainan Island. The specific conditions, requirements, and procedures for establishing wholly foreign-owned hospitals will be notified separately. Xiangcai Securities believes that with the disclosure of the semi-annual report, the risks of related companies in the medical service sector under performance pressure have been adequately released. Looking ahead to the second half of the year, the overall performance of relevant companies is expected to improve quarter by quarter.
In fact, as early as August 2014, the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the Ministry of Commerce issued a notice to carry out pilot projects for the establishment of wholly foreign-owned hospitals in seven provinces (municipalities) including Beijing. It allowed overseas investors to establish wholly foreign-owned hospitals in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Jiangsu Province, Fujian Province, Guangdong Province, and Hainan Province through new establishment or mergers and acquisitions. However, the notice explicitly stated that apart from investors from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, other overseas investors are not allowed to set up traditional Chinese medicine hospitals in the aforementioned provinces (municipalities).
However, the policy changed again afterwards. On March 13, 2015, the revised version of the "Catalog of Industries for Foreign Investment" issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce included medical institutions in the restricted category. In 2017, the "Catalog of Industries for Foreign Investment" issued by the State Council once again made it clear that the participation of medical institutions is limited to joint ventures and cooperation. It was not until 2024 that the government work report proposed to relax market access for the medical service industry. The promulgation of this policy marks a crucial step in opening up China's medical market and signals a profound transformation in the country's medical industry.
Market analysts believe that foreign-funded hospitals not only introduce medical institutions, but may also drive the development of the entire medical-related industry. For example, with the entry of foreign-funded hospitals, advanced medical equipment, pharmaceutical research and development, medical informatization, and other related fields may also usher in new development opportunities. In addition, it will also promote the further internationalization of China's medical policy. In order to cope with the competition from foreign-funded hospitals, domestic medical policies may move towards more diversified and market-oriented directions. Pricing of medical services, coverage of medical insurance, hospital management models, and other aspects may undergo changes under the impact of foreign-funded hospitals.
Looking ahead, the development trend of wholly foreign-owned hospitals in China will present diversified characteristics. With the gradual implementation of policies and the optimization of the market environment, it is expected that more foreign medical enterprises will enter the Chinese market, especially in the high-end medical, specialized departments, and health management fields, forming a market pattern dominated by foreign capital.
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