The following document from 2014 describes the types of permits and certifications that private Chinese companies need to bid for military contracts. These qualifications vary depending on the level of classification and sensitivity of the defense contracts involved.

The Chinese source text is available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20201118185049/https://m.sohu.com/n/461930354/

In recent years, with the constant refinement of China’s systems for national defense science, technology and industry administration and weapons and equipment procurement, the system for providing access to the fields of weapons and equipment scientific research, production and maintenance has gradually been put on a sound footing. From different administration perspectives, the State Council and the relevant military departments have carried out secrecy qualification review and certification of weapons and equipment scientific research and production units (hereinafter referred to as “secrecy qualification certification”) and a system for weapons and equipment quality system certification (“quality system certification”), and have established a weapons and equipment scientific research and production licensing system (“licensing review”), and a qualification review system for contracted equipment manufacturers (“qualification review”). The establishment of these administrative systems has played an important role in improving weapons and equipment scientific research and production capabilities, increasing the quality and efficiency of weapons and equipment construction, and ensuring the security of state secrets.

With the continuous refinement of China’s socialist market economic system and the rapid development of the national economy, there has been constant growth in the scale and capabilities of private enterprises (民营企业), and they have gone to the forefront of some industries. Actively attracting strong (优势) private enterprises into weapons and equipment scientific research and production and maintenance fields breaks industry monopolies and stimulates the vitality of innovation. This has great significance for boosting the effectiveness of equipment procurement. The Third Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) expressly requires “promoting in-depth development of military-civil fusion (军民融合)” and “channeling private enterprises to enter military product scientific research, production and maintenance fields.” Facing a new situation and new requirements, the existing access system and administrative work has certain problems, such as poor connections between systems, cumbersome review procedures, long approval cycles, and high entry “thresholds.” In order to root weapons and equipment construction in the foundation of the nation’s most advanced S&T and industrial systems, improvement of the existing access administration system is urgently needed.

I. General Outlook and Target Requirements

To accelerate the absorption (吸纳) of strong private enterprises into weapons and equipment scientific research, production and maintenance fields, we must be guided by the spirit of the Third Plenum of the 18th CCP Central Committee and the series of important instructions from President Xi on promoting the in-depth development of military-civil fusion, be driven by the requirements of weapons and equipment construction, insist on being problem-oriented, and eliminate barriers to entry. We must establish: Entry coordination mechanisms, smooth acceptance channels, simplified work procedures, lower “thresholds” for entry, and strengthened supervision and management. We must increase the efficiency and fairness of resource allocation for weapons and equipment construction, and we must construct an access management system for weapons and equipment scientific research, production and maintenance fields that is smoothly coordinated, straightforward and standardized, efficient and orderly, and secure and classified. 

Before the end of 2014, a categorization-based review system shall be established, interdepartmental review work coordination mechanisms shall be refined, duplication of reviews will be reduced, sites for acceptance of reviews of qualifications will be uniformly established, and relevant administrative regulations will be amended and refined; by the end of 2015, relevant supporting systems and mechanisms will be established, joint supervision management and exit mechanisms will be refined, and there will be a significant increase in the number of private enterprises undertaking weapons and equipment scientific research, production and maintenance tasks, as well in the level of tasks.