China’s State Council announced on Thursday that six cities in the Chinese mainland will expand overseas investment access to several service sectors, including aged care, travel, telecom, entertainment, and live performance businesses.

Some cities are allowed to permit foreign-funded travel agents engaged in the outbound travel business, with the exception of the Taiwan region. Some have been granted the power to approve entertainment and performance activities funded by investors from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region. This authority has been devolved from provincial-level governments.

The six cities are Shenyang in Liaoning province, Nanjing in Jiangsu province, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Wuhan in Hubei province, Guangzhou in Guangdong province, and Chengdu in Sichuan province

The six cities are Shenyang in Liaoning province, Nanjing in Jiangsu province, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Wuhan in Hubei province, Guangzhou in Guangdong province, and Chengdu in Sichuan province.

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Previously, foreign-funded travel agencies were prohibited from conducting overseas travel business for mainland residents, including travel to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. Now, Shenyang, Nanjing, Guangzhou, and Chengdu are permitted to establish such agencies that engage in outbound travel business, excluding Taiwan.

Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Chengdu have also been granted the authority to handle two types of applications from organizations established by foreign investors and investors from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.

These two applications include requests from entertainment venues to engage in entertainment business activities and applications for investments in the establishment of performance venues and organizations.

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Furthermore, the authority to organize commercial performances involving foreign or Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan art groups and individuals has also been decentralized. Nanjing, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Chengdu now possess the authority to organize such commercial performances.

In addition to the travel and entertainment sectors, foreign investors also enjoy broader access to various other service areas in these cities.

In Hangzhou, Guangzhou, and Chengdu, foreign investors are authorized to donate funds for the operation of non-profit elderly care organizations and register them as private non-enterprise units

Shenyang, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Chengdu have been granted permission to establish non-profit medical institutions through joint donations by domestic and foreign entities.

In Hangzhou, Guangzhou, and Chengdu, foreign investors are authorized to donate funds for the operation of non-profit elderly care organizations and register them as private non-enterprise units.

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Shenyang, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, and Chengdu are allowed to open their Internet virtual private network business to foreign investors, as long as their shareholding does not exceed 50 percent.