Solely foreign-funded medical institutions will not be allowed to operate in China even though the country has joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Ministry of Health said Monday.
A spokesperson for the ministry said this policy is in line with international practice.
However, the spokesperson said, Sino-foreign joint-venture medical institutions will be allowed to operate.
· 200 joint-venture medical institutions been approved so far
In fact, the ministry said, it has approved more than 200 joint-venture medical institutions so far.
In 2001 alone, it approved 23 joint-venture medical institutions.
· Concerned regulations
The regulations on joint-venture medical institutions were publicized by the Chinese authorities on July 1, 2000.
China pledged to open its market to joint venture medical institutions during the negotiations for its WTO membership, and the pledge stops there, the spokesperson said.
Fewer than half a dozen countries have so far opened their medical service market as widely as China has done, the spokesperson added.
(People's Daily December 11, 2001)
