The Ministry of Commerce of the PRC released the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Cross-border Trade in Services (2024 Edition) and the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Cross-border Trade in Services in Pilot Free Trade Zones (2024 Edition) on 22 March 2024, which shall be implemented from 21 April 2024.

The Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Cross-border Trade in Services (2024 Edition) is the first national negative list for cross-border trade in services, which contains 71 special administrative measures for overseas services providers in 11 categories. The list has summarized and listed out the special administrative measures for the provision of services by overseas service providers under modes of cross-border deliver, overseas consumption and movement of natural person. For areas not included in the negative list, domestic and overseas services and service providers shall enjoy equal treatment.

The negative list for cross-border trade in services in the pilot free zones contains 68 special administrative measures. Meanwhile, further opening arrangements have been made in the fields of professional qualifications for nature person, professional services, finance, culture and so on, for example:

1. Relax the restrictions on professional qualification examinations. Cancelled the restrictions on foreign individuals to participate in 6 types of professional qualification examinations, including registered urban and rural planners, real estate appraisers, auctioneers, survey and design registered engineers, veterinarians and registered supervisory engineers.
2. Expand the opening up of the financial sector. Eligible overseas individuals are allowed to apply for securities and futures accounts in accordance with the law and engage in the securities investment consulting and futures trading consulting services.
3. Expand the opening up of the professional service sector. Cancelled the restrictions on business entities established overseas and overseas individuals to engage in customs clearance business. Overseas service providers can provide customs clearance services to entities within the pilot free trade zones through cross-border modes. No need to establish a legal entity in China.
4. Expand the opening up of the cultural sector. Relaxed the restrictions on the proportion of Chinese personnel for the main creators of Sino-foreign cooperative TV dramas. The proportion of Chinese personnel required has been changed from no less than 1/3 to no less than 1/4.

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