ABSTRACT
Clinics are a main institutional form for doctors to open personal business in China .The develop-ment process of clinic reflects the situation of medical staff free practice .This study summarized the supervision poli-cies on clinic in China since the founding of China and got three conclusions .The first one was the attitude of the practice of the clinic has changed significantly .The change include four stages which were authorization ( 1949—1957 ) , limitations ( 1958—1977 ) , re-authorization ( 1978—1996 ) , promotion and encourage ( 1997—) along with macroeconomic system reform and the changes of government's governance ideas on health sector .The second conclu-sion was that the government gradually raised awareness of the status and role of the clinic institutions in the health system over the past several decades .The third conclusion was the supervision policies became more meticulous .In the future , clinical institutions can be a useful supplement to public medical institutions in China for its development process and characteristics .