China to expand opening-up in agriculture, mining, manufacturing, service sectors

BEIJING — China will roll out more opening measures in the agriculture, mining, manufacturing and service sectors, and allow wholly foreign funded enterprises to operate in more sectors, a senior official of the country’s top economic planner said on March 6.

The government will further shorten the negative list which outlines fields off-limits to foreign investors, Ning Jizhe, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual legislative session.

A new list outlining industries that encourage foreign investment will be released this year, Ning said.

In addition, foreign investors will enjoy equal treatment in market access in sectors outside the negative list and fair treatment in terms of government purchase, registration and other post-establishment activities.

China will facilitate foreign investment in sectors such as new energy, advanced manufacturing, petrochemicals, electronics and information, Ning added.

The annual legislative session will later review a draft foreign investment law to attract foreign investment and protect foreign investors’ legitimate rights and interests.

China bucked global trend of foreign direct investment slide in 2018 by attracting about 135 billion US dollars, up 3 percent year-on-year.