China announced that it would send a group of observers to the US to study direct selling. The announcement came as officials from companies including Amway, Avon, Mary Kay and Nu Skin continue to lobby the government to repeal its six-year ban on direct marketing in mainland China.
The government said that China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce were drafting rules governing direct selling as per its commitments under the World Trade Organization. The World Federation of Direct Selling Associations will submit a consensus paper regarding new regulations to China's government, which intends to review the paper before sending its group to the US.