I. What is the scope of application for the Measures?

The Measures shall apply to approval procedures as well as to supervision during and after the event for all foreign-funded vocational training institutions operating within the jurisdiction of Beijing Municipality. 

The foreign-funded vocational training institutions mentioned in the Measures shall be understood to refer to for-profit educational institutions established independently by foreign enterprises or other organizations qualified to engage in educational activities (hereinafter referred to as "foreign investors") or established by foreign investors jointly with Chinese non-governmental social organizations (hereinafter referred to as "domestic investors") engaged in non-academic vocational training for Chinese citizens in Beijing Municipality.

The vocational training mentioned in the Measures shall be understood to refer to training in measurable skill occupations type three to six as specified in the Occupational Classification Code of the People's Republic of China, with the exception of those related to administrative law enforcement, and new vocational training officially promulgated by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People's Republic of China.

II. What is the essence of the content of the Measures?

The Measures has been prepared for the purpose of standardizing the activities of foreign-funded for-profit vocational training institutions in relation to their management and oversight, the conditions and procedures for establishing the institutions, the organizational structures and activities of the institutions, and for altering or terminating procedural conditions.

III. What are the requirements for running a foreign-funded vocational training institution?

1. The founder shall be registered as a legal entity and be unhindered by credit record problems;

2. Foreign investors seeking to establish foreign-funded training institutions shall be experienced in investment or management in vocational training and shall provide advanced international management education and training with world-class courses, teachers, facilities, and equipment;

3. The principal or administrative personnel engaged shall be familiar with the educational business and school management and take responsibility for the training activities of the institutions in accordance with their Articles of Association;

4. The full-time and part-time teachers and managers employed shall be appropriate for the training categories, levels, and scales of training to be undertaken;

5. There shall be an appropriate source of funding to ensure the normal operation of the school and daily teaching;

6. The teaching facilities shall be suitable for the training program;

7. The training plans, teaching materials, and teaching-related management systems shall conform to the training program;

8. Domestic investors who participate in the establishment of foreign-funded training institutions with state-owned assets shall comply with relevant national regulations on the supervision and administration of state-owned assets.

The specific standards for running schools shall be subject to the standards for setting up private vocational training institutions in Beijing Municipality.

IV. What is new in the Measures?

1. Opportunities for foreign investment in schools have been broadened. Based on the original form of Chinese-foreign cooperation in educational institutions, the Measures shall allow foreign investors to invest independently and establish for-profit vocational training institutions in Beijing Municipality and support their investments in the municipal vocational training market in a variety of ways.

2. Providing the same treatment for domestic and foreign investors in running vocational training institutions. The Measures shall relax standards and conditions for foreign investors to access the domestic vocational training market in accordance with the Foreign Investment Law of the People's Republic of China. Foreign-funded vocational training institutions shall be entitled to the same treatment as domestic vocational training institutions in Beijing Municipality in relation to standards, approval levels and processes, and oversight and management.

3. Optimizing the reform of approval services. The Measures shall adopt the notification commitment approval system for handling institution establishment and change procedures by separating business licenses and operation permits. It shall further optimize the approval process to shorten handling time by allowing investors with complete materials to go through relevant formalities on site.

4. Strengthening oversight during and after the event. An oversight system shall be established to verify whether an institution has fulfilled its commitments during and after the event. Those failing to fulfill their commitment shall be subject to punishment. An innovative oversight model shall be introduced whereby randomly selected inspectors shall be assigned to oversee randomly selected institutions and release the inspection results to the public. Meanwhile, the Measures shall make clear provisions for the management of teaching materials and advance fees.