To all departments or bureaus of health of all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and the Bureau of Health of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps,
In accordance with the requirements of the Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Forwarding the Opinions of the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Health and other Departments on Further Encouraging and Guiding Social Capital in Setup of Medical Facilities (Guo Ban Fa [2010] No. 58) and the relevant provisions of the Administrative Licensing Law of the People's Republic of China and the Regulations on the Administration over Medical Institutions, we have decided to adjust the examination and approval authority for Sino-foreign equity and cooperative joint venture medical institutions, and the relevant matters are hereby announced as follows:

1. With regard to the application for setting up a Sino-foreign equity or cooperative joint venture medical institution, it shall be subject to preliminary examination by the health administrative department of the city divided into districts where the medical institution is located, thereafter submitted to the provincial health administrative department for examination and approval.

2. Any one who sponsors to set up a Sino-foreign equity or cooperative joint venture medical institution may set up either profit-making or non-profit-making medical institution.

3. Where a Sino-foreign equity or cooperative joint venture medical institution that is set up upon the approval of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Commerce intends to make changes in its sponsor (partner), legal representative, address, total amount of investment, scale (number of hospital beds, dental chairs), specialties and term of equity or cooperative joint venture or time limit for construction preparation, such changes shall be reported for preliminary examination to the health administrative department of the city divided into districts where the medical institution is located, thereafter submitted to the provincial health administrative department for examination and approval.

4. With regard to the establishment, alternation and termination of a Sino-foreign equity or cooperative joint venture medical institution, after approval by the provincial health administrative department, the applicant shall file an application with the corresponding competent department of commerce in accordance with the relevant laws and administrative regulations.

5. With regard to the application for setting up a Sino-foreign equity or cooperative joint venture medical institution, the submission of the necessary documents and the requirements for the examination and approval by the health administrative department shall be governed by relevant provisions of the Interim Measures for the Administration of Sino-Foreign Equity/Cooperative Joint Venture Medical Institutions (Order No. 11 of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of the People's Republic of China).

6. This Notice shall come into force on the date of issuance. With regard to any application accepted by the Ministry of Health for setting up a Sino-foreign equity or cooperative joint venture medical institution, it shall still be subject to the examination and approval by the Ministry of Health.
Issues encountered by local authorities during the examination and approval of Sino-foreign equity and cooperative joint venture medical institutions shall be reported to the Department of Medical Administration under the Ministry of Health without any delay.