1. Railways offer preferential policies to children based on their age

Children in China between 6 and 14 years old who purchase tickets in a real-name-based ticket system are eligible for discount tickets, and those above 14 years old are required to pay full price starting from January 1 next year, according to a revised railway passenger transport regulation issued by the Ministry of Transport.

2. China to launch commercial pension pilots in 10 cities and regions

China will run commercial pension trials in 10 cities and regions nationwide, including Beijing, Shanghai and the provinces of Zhejiang and Guangdong, for one year starting from January 1, 2023.

The pension plan is a part of the third pillar of China's pension system, supplementing the country's private pension scheme that was implemented recently, according to the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission.

3. China to downgrade COVID-19 management to Class B

China will downgrade its management of the infectious disease of COVID-19 to Class B as of January 8, 2023. 

Accordingly, response measures against COVID-19 will also be adjusted. For example, quarantine measures against people infected with novel coronavirus will be stopped, and their close contacts will no longer be identified. 

Meanwhile, infectious disease quarantine measures will no longer be taken against inbound travelers and goods. 

4. China lifts COVID restrictions on international arrivals

China will cancel nucleic acid tests for international arrivals starting from January 8, 2023. Inbound travelers to China are required to take a PCR test within 48 hours before their departure. People with a positive test result must postpone their travels until they test negative.

China will also increase the number of international flights in stages and resume outbound tourism for Chinese citizens in an orderly manner.

5. China to resume passport, visa issuance

Staring from January 8, 2023, China's National Immigration Administration will resume accepting and approving Chinese citizens' applications for ordinary passports for the purposes of tourism and visiting friends abroad starting from the date. 

The administration will also resume the processing of endorsements for Chinese mainland residents to visit the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for tourism and business purposes.

6. Patients in China to enjoy direct settlement of trans-provincial medical expenses

Any patient enrolled in China's public medical insurance system can enjoy the direct settlement of trans-provincial medical expenses in designated hospitals and medical institutions nationwide after putting on their records to the localities they are treated in, according to a regulation issued by the National Healthcare Security Administration which will take effect from January 1, 2023.

7. Generous rewards given for informing on illegal use of medical insurance

People who provide clues in cases relating to the illegal and irreguar use of medical insurance funds will be given a reward, with the maximum reward increased from 100,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan and a minimum reward of 200 yuan, according to a guideline issued by China's National Healthcare Security Administration which is set to be implemented on January 1, 2023.

8. Electronic materials for drug registration application allowed 

People who apply for drug registration approval to China's National Medical Products Administration are allowed to submit electronic materials rather than paper versions in terms of application documents and additional materials during the review process staring from January 1, 2023, according to the administration. 

9. China adjusts tariffs on imported commodities

China will implement provisional tariffs that are lower than the most-favored-nation rates on 1,020 imported commodities as of January 1, 2023.

China will also further reduce the most-favored nation tax rate on 62 types of information technology products starting from July 1 next year.

10. Pre-installed apps without basic functions can be uninstalled

Mobile manufacturers in China are required to ensure that the pre-installed applications without any basic functions on mobile devices can be uninstalled safely and conveniently by users starting from January 1, 2023, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Cyberspace Administration of China.

11. Shanghai takes steps to further protect women's rights

Shanghai, one of the four municipalities of China, will implement regulations designated for protecting women's rights as of January 1 next year.

According the regulations, employment discrimination is prohibited and gender discrimination will be included in labor security supervision. All localities in the municipality are requred to take measures to prevent and stop domestic violence.

12. Tianjin opens public sports facilities either for free or at a low price

All the public sports facilities in north China's Tianjin Municipality will be open to the public for free or for a low price in accordance with their functions and characteristics starting from January 1, 2023, according to a revised regulation on national fitness issued by the municipal government.

13. China's first local regulation to protect the night sky to take effect

China's first local regulation to protect the night sky in Lenghu, where China is building a world-class astronomy observation site, will take effect from January 1, 2023.

According to the regulation, in the dark core zone of the designated dark preservation areas of the observation site on the north side of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the type and brightness of light resources will be under strict control. The illumination direction of all outdoor fixed lighting will have to be 30 degrees lower than the horizontal line.

14. Shenzhen to allow critically-ill patients to refuse excessive life-saving treatment

Critically-ill patients in south China's Shenzhen City will be allowed to have a "living will" by which to refuse excessive life-saving treatment starting from January 1 next year, according to a revised regulation issued by the municipal government that has made Shenzhen become the first city in China to pass this kind of legislation.