Sino-foreign joint education is a key policy in the Chinese education sector. Its aim is to introduce high-quality foreign educational resources, improve domestic education standards and cultivate talent with an international outlook and competitiveness. Currently, the Chinese government is implementing a series of policies to regulate and promote the development of Sino-foreign joint education. 

There are policy regulations such as the Regulations on Sino-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools, which aim to regulate and strengthen educational exchanges and cooperation, as well as promote the development of education. These regulations are based on the Education Law of the People's Republic of China, the Vocational Education Law of the People's Republic of China, and the Private Education Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China. They were promulgated by the State Council on March 1, 2003, coming into force on September 1, 2003. The Regulations were subsequently revised by the State Council on July 18, 2013 and March 2, 2019. Additionally, there are Implementation Measures for these Regulations that were promulgated by the Ministry of Education on June 2, 2004 and came into force on July 1st of that year.

These documents provide clear provisions regarding various aspects including definition; establishment; organization and management; education and teaching; assets and finance; change and termination; as well as legal liability related to Sino-foreign cooperation in running schools. Furthermore,the Implementation Measures for these Regulations along with a Notice from Ministry of Education aimed at Further Standardizing Sino-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools offer legal basis and guidance for Sino-foreign joint venture schools.[1]

These regulations clearly stipulate application conditions approval procedures teaching management quality assurance requirements to ensure legality standardization when operating a school.In terms of establishment requirements, educational institutions applying to establish Sino-foreign cooperation in running schools should have legal person status and possess corresponding school-running conditions and teaching staff strength. The forms of running schools include two types: cooperation in establishing institutions and cooperation in holding projects, which can be independent legal persons or non-independent legal persons.

The enrollment targets are mainly Chinese citizens, but some projects can also recruit foreign students. In terms of teaching requirements, it should conform to the needs of the development of China's education cause, ensure the quality of education and teaching, and cultivate all kinds of talents.

In terms of preferential policies, Sino-foreign joint education institutions can enjoy the preferential policies stipulated by the country, such as tax concessions and financial support. The approval and supervision are the responsibility of the administrative department of education under the State Council, the administrative department of labor and other relevant administrative departments to ensure the quality of running schools and the rights and interests of students.

In addition, there are also relevant regulations in aspects such as intellectual property investment and religious restrictions. For example, in terms of intellectual property: the intellectual property investment of Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools shall not exceed 1/3 of their respective investments, but the intellectual property investment of foreign educational institutions invited by the administrative department of education under the State Council, etc. can exceed 1/3. Foreign religious organizations, institutions, colleges and universities and teaching staff are not allowed to engage in cooperative education activities in China, and Sino-foreign cooperation in running schools is not allowed to conduct religious education and carry out religious activities.