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INVESTMENT · CHINESE LEGAL GLOSSARY REVIEWED SEP 2026
外商投资安全审查

Foreign investment security review

A national-security review mechanism for foreign investments that affect or may affect China’s national security.

CHINESE外商投资安全审查
PINYINwaishang touzi anquan shencha
PREFERRED ENGLISHForeign investment security review
AREAInvestment
WHAT 外商投资安全审查 MEANS

What 外商投资安全审查 means

The review can apply to direct or indirect foreign investment in China and uses sector, control and national-security criteria. Certain investments require declaration before implementation, and authorities can also initiate review.

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Why the role matters

This is separate from the foreign-investment negative list, merger control and sector licensing. Transactions may need to clear several regulatory workstreams in parallel.

CONTEXT

Where you see the term

ContextWhat it means there
M&AForeign acquisition of a Chinese target.
Greenfield investmentNew project in a sensitive sector.
Deal conditionsClosing may depend on security-review clearance or conditions.
TRANSLATION NOTE
文/A

Translation note

外商投资安全审查 is “foreign investment security review”. It is not the same as ordinary foreign-investment approval or national-treatment analysis.

AUTHORITY

Primary legal basis

PRIMARY AUTHORITY

Measures for Security Review of Foreign Investment

The measures define covered investment activities, declaration scope and review process.

The measures define covered investment activities, declaration scope and review process.

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ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE

Example

A foreign investor acquires control of a company supplying technology in a sensitive sector. The parties assess both negative-list access and the separate security-review regime.

SOURCES AND REVIEW

Primary authorities.

Last source check
18 Sep 2026
MAINTAINED BYChina Legal Portal Editorial
LAST REVIEWED
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