Can a foreign company open a school in China?

Degree schools only via MOE-approved Sino-foreign cooperation (JV structures); compulsory-stage K-9 schooling remains closed. Training companies (non-degree) can be 100% foreign-owned.

How do we protect our curriculum?

License it (never assign), register copyrights and China trademarks pre-launch, and put royalty audits in the JV agreements — the training-company layer keeps IP offshore-owned.

Education & Training in China (2026) — What Is Open to Foreign Operators

SHORT ANSWER

Vocational training is broadly open; K-9 schooling stays closed; vocational colleges and high-level universities open via MOE-approved Sino-foreign structures under the 2026 Action Plan. The two-layer model (wholly-owned training company + MOE JV) is the proven structure.

Scope surgery first: training (company license) vs schooling (school license). Non-degree vocational and corporate training: register a company, deliver B2B/B2C programs fast. Degree-bearing vocational colleges and universities: Sino-foreign cooperative institutions via MOE approval — stage capital against milestones. Student demand engine: imported skills (German mechatronics, Japanese care standards, Swiss hospitality) with Chinese government co-funding in many provinces. IP protection: license curriculum, register trademarks and copyright before the program announcement.

One partner for the whole journey

Zhonghui Consulting — licensed, fixed-fee, English-speaking. cross-border compliance engagements, ICPA-reviewed.

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General information only — not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Rules change; verify with official sources (SAMR, STA, SAFE, MOFCOM, NIA) and licensed advisors before acting.