China welcomes foreign investment in home services

China welcomes foreign firms to invest in its housekeeping services, which is not on the negative list for foreign investment, an official with the country’s commerce ministry said Tuesday.

China implements a negative list that designates certain sectors as off-limits to foreign investment. The housekeeping services sector is not included in the list, and foreign firms can register and set up home services businesses in the same ways as their Chinese counterparts, said Xian Guoyi from the Ministry of Commerce.

Foreign firms are welcomed to invest in the arena which holds tremendous potential of growth, the ministry said.

The rise of the middle class in China necessitates the provision of high-quality home services, creating opportunities for foreign businesses which provide personalized services, Bai Ming, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times Tuesday.

High levels of home services are more readily available in overseas markets where universities and colleges provide housekeeping courses, which is rare in China, Bai said.

The opening of the nation’s housekeeping services market could mean an opportunity for English-speaking Filipino housekeepers, Bai said.

But he said that it is more practical for such professionals to be hired as trainers for Chinese domestic home workers, as providing employment in this sector for foreigners means a relaxation in the visa policy for foreign workers.

The country unveiled a shortened negative list for foreign investment in late June, downsizing the number of sectors off limits to 33 from 40 in a bid to further open up the economy.

The new list allows for greater openness in the services, manufacturing and agricultural sectors.