"We are actively working on the feasibility of foreign insurance companies providing group medical insurance," Chen Wenhui, director of the Life-Insurance Department of the China Insurance Regulatory Commission, was quoted as saying at the first China Commercial Medical Insurance Forum held on Saturday and Saturday.

Chen said at the forum Chinese insurance companies are not specialized enough in group medical insurance and cannot meet market needs. Therefore, foreign or joint venture insurance firms could be introduced to fill the gap, the newspaper reported.

The commission said it sponsored the weekend forum to start a long-term platform for discussion. Nearly 200 senior government officials, scholars and insurance company executives attended the forum, according to the newspaper.

Despite enormous market potentials, Chinese insurers have remained cautious about medical insurance, the newspaper said.

(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2002)