Published by ChinaMNC · Liangzihu
China’s 2026 Commerce Work Conference: Key Takeaways for Foreign Founders
A practical guide for foreign founders on China’s 2026 commerce priorities, including consumption, trade, foreign investment, and risk management, based on the national commerce work conference held January 10–11.
China’s 2026 Commerce Agenda: What Foreign Founders Need to Know
On January 10–11, China’s national commerce work conference took place in Beijing. The meeting reviewed 2025 and the 14th Five-Year Plan period, studied objectives for the 15th Five-Year Plan, and outlined tasks for 2026. Commerce Minister Wang Wentao delivered the work report, and Li Chenggang, Deputy Minister and International Trade Representative, chaired the session. For foreign founders registering or operating a company in China, the conference signals policy directions that could affect market access, investment, and trade operations.
2025 in Review: Stability and Progress
The conference described 2025 as a challenging year in which the commerce system pushed forward to implement central decisions. Achievements included a generally stable commercial performance with progress, strengthened consumer spending, trade growth despite pressure, improved foreign investment structure, and orderly outbound investment. These outcomes contributed to the broader economic recovery.
The Ministry of Commerce, working with local authorities and other departments, focused on several areas:
- Boosting consumption by expanding trade-in programs for consumer goods, improving service consumption, creating new consumption scenarios, and strengthening distribution and market systems.
- Stabilizing foreign trade by exploring diversified markets, developing new trade drivers, and enhancing services and digital trade.
- Expanding openness and stabilizing foreign investment by promoting the “Invest in China” brand, advancing autonomous opening, and upgrading free trade pilot zones.
- Promoting international industrial and supply chain cooperation, improving management and services, and advancing Belt and Road economic and trade cooperation.
- Utilizing multilateral and regional mechanisms to advance trade and investment agreements.
- Balancing development and security by improving export control systems, handling trade frictions, and protecting overseas interests.
2026 Priorities: Eight Key Areas for Commerce Work
2026 marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan. The conference identified eight priority areas for the commerce system:
1. Consumption Promotion
A special action plan will boost consumption under the “Buy in China” brand. Efforts include cultivating new service consumption growth points, optimizing trade-in policies, upgrading goods consumption, creating an internationalized consumption environment, and developing digital, green, and health consumption while stimulating lower-tier markets.
2. Modern Market and Distribution Systems
Work will advance the building of a unified national market, strengthen institutional safeguards, optimize facilities, promote retail innovation, and improve modern commercial distribution. Pilot city construction and domestic-foreign trade integration will be deepened.
3. Trade Innovation
Under the “Export China” brand, goods trade will be optimized, services trade and exports encouraged, and digital and green trade developed. Trade and investment integration will be promoted.
4. Attracting Foreign Investment
China will shape new advantages in attracting foreign investment and enhance the “Invest in China” brand. This includes orderly opening of the services sector, improving investment promotion, and strengthening foreign investment service guarantees.
5. Opening High-Standard Platforms
Aligning with high-standard international trade rules, China will advance free trade pilot zone upgrading, increase trade and investment liberalization in the Hainan Free Trade Port, and improve open platform quality and key exhibitions.
6. Outbound Investment Management
Management of outbound investment will be improved to guide rational cross-border layout of industrial and supply chains. A comprehensive overseas service system will be developed, Belt and Road cooperation deepened, Silk Road e-commerce advanced, and risk prevention strengthened.
7. Multilateral and Bilateral Cooperation
China will implement the four global initiatives, promote global economic governance reform, expand free trade area networks, and deepen bilateral economic and trade work.
8. Risk Prevention and Opening Security
Efforts will focus on improving foreign-related legal systems, export control and security review mechanisms, trade risk prevention, and supply chain resilience.
Implications for Foreign Founders
For foreign entrepreneurs, these priorities suggest continued emphasis on attracting foreign investment, particularly in services and high-standard platforms like free trade zones and Hainan. The “Invest in China” brand and improved service guarantees may ease market entry. Consumption promotion and trade innovation could create opportunities in retail, digital trade, and green industries. However, founders should also note the focus on risk management and security, which may affect export controls and compliance requirements. Staying informed about local implementation of these policies is essential.
This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.
For assistance with company registration and operations in China, foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp / WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535.