Published by ChinaMNC · Hejin

China Signals Health-Sector Priorities for 2026-2030: What Foreign Founders Should Watch

A national health conference in Beijing set out priorities for the 15th Five-Year Plan period through 2035, covering primary care, medical insurance, drug procurement, traditional medicine and opening in health cooperation. Here is what foreign founders operating in China should note.

Beijing Sets Health Priorities for the Coming Five-Year Period

China's national health and wellness conference took place in Beijing on October 12-13, according to the official readout. President Xi Jinping addressed the gathering, and Premier Li Qiang delivered a summary speech. Senior leaders Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi also attended. For foreign founders building or running companies in China, the readout is a useful map of where policy attention, funding and regulatory change are likely to concentrate over the next several years.

The central message: the 15th Five-Year Plan period is described as pivotal for reaching the goal of a healthy China by 2035. The stated approach is to build on existing strengths, shore up foundations, address shortcomings and strengthen weak links, with the aim of high-quality development in health and wellness and steadily improving public health outcomes.

What the Government Says It Has Already Built

According to the readout, since the 18th Party Congress the leadership has placed protection of public health in a priority strategic position, adopted a health work policy for the new era and made major decisions on building a healthy China. The text states that China has developed the world's largest systems for medical services, traditional medicine, disease prevention and control, and medical insurance. It describes historic achievements and all-round progress in the sector.

For founders, the implication is scale: a large existing service and insurance infrastructure that policy now aims to make more balanced, accessible, efficient and higher quality. The readout defines the intended healthy China as one that is balanced, inclusive, high quality and efficient, with strong capabilities in health management, disease control, medical services, insurance support, pharmaceutical innovation and talent development.

Health in All Policies: A Signal for Project Approvals

One section deserves close reading by anyone planning facilities, products or investments. The readout says health and wellness play a foundational, society-wide role and that a health-first development strategy must be firmly implemented. It calls for health protection to be integrated into all policies and reflected across government work, with the health impact of plans, policy design, project appraisal and construction projects given priority consideration.

In practice, foreign founders should expect health-related factors to feature in approvals, environmental reviews and local government evaluations for projects with public-health implications. Building that into timelines is prudent.

Prevention, Primary Care and the Patient Experience

The readout calls prevention the most economical and effective health strategy. It lists practical priorities: encouraging the public to adopt sound health views and manage their own health; guiding young people toward good study and lifestyle habits; creating better ecological and living environments; supporting fitness and healthy leisure; strengthening food safety oversight; and improving the disease control system to prevent large-scale outbreaks.

On services, the text names raising medical service levels as a key task. It calls for a project to strengthen the foundations of medical and health care, better positioning and layout of institutions, and progress on tiered diagnosis and treatment so people can get care nearby. It also points to comprehensive chronic disease prevention and control, a full chain of prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and management, and better patient experience and convenience.

Traditional Medicine, Innovation and the Health Industry

The readout says the mechanisms for inheriting, innovating and developing traditional Chinese medicine should be improved, with stronger coordination and integration of Chinese and Western medicine. It also calls for basic research and original innovation in health, faster translation of scientific results, and growth of the health industry.

Foreign founders in pharmaceuticals, devices, digital health or wellness should note the combination of innovation encouragement and industrial development, alongside a clear role for traditional medicine.

Insurance, Procurement and Drug Supply

Reform is described as a powerful driver. The main direction given for medical and health system reform is coordinated development and governance of medical services, medical insurance and pharmaceuticals. Specific items include implementing reform plans for public medical institutions, deepening public hospital reform with a public-interest orientation, and strengthening operating support for county-level and primary institutions.

The readout also calls for a multi-tier medical insurance system, optimized policies for centralized procurement of drugs and consumables, insurance payment and fund use, and a balance in which funds operate safely, hospitals run soundly and patients bear reasonable costs. It mentions improving drug supply and use mechanisms, the national essential medicines system and quality and safety oversight.

• Procurement: continued emphasis on centralized purchasing of drugs and consumables.
• Insurance: a multi-tier system with optimized payment policies.
• Supply: essential medicines and quality supervision remain priorities.

Talent, Standards and International Cooperation

The text stresses building strong leadership and professional teams in health institutions, a medical workforce of adequate size and quality, medical ethics, and public respect for health workers. It also addresses global health, calling for a global community for health, cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, innovation in foreign health assistance and better communication of China's health story.

Premier Li Qiang's summary listed implementation priorities: health-first orientation, public-interest basic care, balancing basic provision with quality improvement, and deepening reform, innovation and opening cooperation. Specific areas included major disease control, tiered diagnosis and treatment, patient experience, multi-tier insurance, traditional medicine, services for the elderly and children, and technology-enabled health development.

Practical Takeaways for Foreign Founders

• Map to policy themes: primary care, chronic disease management, traditional medicine, insurance and procurement, and health innovation appear repeatedly.
• Expect health impact in approvals: project appraisal and policy design are to weigh health effects.
• Track procurement and insurance: pricing and reimbursement rules are framed as reform priorities.
• Watch international cooperation: Belt and Road health cooperation and global health are named.

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