China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has recently issued the Measures for the Registration of Rural Collective Economic Organizations (Trial), which will take effect on November 1, 2026.

An official from the ministry’s Department of Regulations said that the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Rural Collective Economic Organizations, which took effect in May 2025, established the legal foundation for the new registration measures. As an important supporting regulation, the measures clarify procedures for the establishment and registration of rural collective economic organizations, changes to their registration details, required provisions in their articles of association, naming standards, certificate issuance, and mergers and divisions, with the aim of ensuring their standardized operation.

Under the measures, applicants must submit an application form and relevant supporting documents when applying for registration. Organizations undergoing mergers, divisions or changes to their registered information, as well as those seeking deregistration due to mergers or divisions, must apply to their original registration authorities and provide the required documentation. Following deregistration, collective assets must remain collectively owned by the members of the resulting rural collective economic organization and cannot be divided among individual members.

An official from the ministry’s Department of Policy and Reform said that, to ensure effective implementation, the ministry will formulate and release relevant application forms and provide training and guidance.

Editor: Zhiyu Wang