Published by ChinaMNC · French

China’s State Council Issues Second 2026 List of Priority ‘One-Stop’ Government Service Items for Businesses

The State Council General Office has released its second 2026 list of priority items under the ‘handle one matter efficiently’ reform, urging local governments to expand one-stop services in areas including the unified national market, high-level opening-up, regional coordination and the business environment. Here is what foreign founders operating in China should note.

What the Notice Says

The General Office of China’s State Council has issued a notice distributing the second batch of priority items for 2026 under the government’s “handle one matter efficiently” reform. The list has been approved by the State Council, and the notice—numbered Guoban Han [2026] No. 84 and dated 20 September 2026—was released publicly on 23 September 2026.

The document is addressed to provincial-level governments and to ministries, commissions and directly affiliated agencies of the State Council. It instructs them to implement the list in light of local conditions.

Why This Matters for Foreign Founders

The notice signals that Chinese authorities are continuing to push government services toward consolidated, one-stop handling rather than requiring companies to approach multiple departments separately. For foreign founders registering or running a company in China—whether a wholly foreign-owned enterprise, a joint venture or a representative office—the direction of travel is toward fewer separate touchpoints for administrative procedures.

The notice does not, however, list the specific items in the second batch, nor does it set out new procedures, deadlines for individual services or eligibility rules. Founders should treat it as a policy signal rather than a procedural guide, and confirm current requirements with the relevant local authorities or professional advisers.

Key Instructions in the Notice

According to the notice, regional and departmental authorities are required to:

• Follow the central leadership’s decisions on improving government services and advancing the “handle one matter efficiently” reform.
• Combine problem-oriented and goal-oriented approaches and adopt what the notice calls a correct view of administrative performance.
• Continue improving items already introduced while coordinating implementation of the second batch of 2026 priority items.
• Strengthen the “handle one matter efficiently” concept and steadily widen the fields and scope to which it applies.
• Extend the approach to more areas, including building a unified national market, expanding high-level opening-up, promoting coordinated regional development and improving the business environment.
• Gradually implement the overall list of priority items covering the full lifecycle of businesses and individuals, adapted to local and departmental conditions.
• Continue raising satisfaction and the sense of gain among enterprises and the public.

Practical Reading for Foreign Investors

1. One-stop handling is expanding

The explicit reference to widening the applicable fields and scope suggests that more administrative matters may increasingly be grouped into single, consolidated processes. For foreign founders, this could eventually mean fewer separate filings across different agencies when setting up or maintaining a company, although the notice itself does not specify which matters are affected.

2. The business environment remains a stated priority

The notice names optimising the business environment and expanding high-level opening-up among the areas where the reform should be extended. These are policy objectives, not commitments to specific outcomes for any individual company.

3. Lifecycle coverage is the long-term goal

Authorities are asked to work toward an overall list of priority items spanning the full lifecycle of businesses and individuals. For a foreign-invested company, that concept could touch on stages from establishment through ongoing compliance to exit, but the notice provides no timetable or item-level detail.

4. Implementation is local

Because the notice directs provincial and departmental authorities to act “in light of actual conditions,” how the reform is delivered in practice will vary by locality. Foreign founders should check with the specific local market regulation, commerce or administrative service centre relevant to their planned location.

What the Notice Does Not Provide

It is important not to over-read the document. The notice:

• does not publish the contents of the second-batch list in the text provided;
• does not create new tax, visa or investment rules;
• does not set out processing times, fee schedules or documentary requirements;
• does not guarantee approval of any application.

Foreign founders should therefore use the notice to understand the policy direction, while relying on the competent authorities and qualified local advisers for operational decisions.

Suggested Next Steps

Founders planning to register or expand a company in China may find it useful to:

• monitor announcements from the local administrative service centre in their intended city;
• ask local authorities which matters are currently available through consolidated, one-stop channels;
• keep company registration and compliance documents organised, since consolidated processes typically depend on consistent underlying information;
• seek local professional advice before relying on any assumed simplification.

Contact ChinaMNC

Foreign founders who need support registering or operating a company in China can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp or WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.