The 6th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade kicked off on May 23, 2024 in southwest China's Chongqing municipality. Photo shows foreign visitors looking at an explosion-proof four-legged robot at an exhibition stand. (People's Daily Online/Wang Jiaxi)
 

　　In recent years, China has been steadily pushing forward the reform of its market access system, one of the fundamental systems underpinning the country's socialist market economy. By continuously lowering market entry thresholds, increasing transparency of market rules, and creating a fairer market environment, China has fully stimulated the endogenous power and innovation vitality of various business entities.China's negative list system allows all types of business entities to equally enter industries, fields, and businesses that are not forbidden by the list in accordance with the law, without the requirement for further government approval.

　　何为负面清单？即“非禁即入”，清单以外的行业、领域、业务等，各类经营主体皆可依法平等进入，政府不再审批。实行市场准入负面清单制度，是在准入环节就明确政府发挥作用的职责边界，充分发挥市场在资源配置中的决定性作用，并以制度形式固定下来。市场准入制度是中国社会主义市场经济基础制度之一。近年来，中国的市场准入制度改革稳步推进，市场“门槛”不断降低，市场规则更加透明，市场环境更加公平，充分激发各类经营主体的内生动力和创新活力。

　　In 2013, with the establishment of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in east China's Shanghai, the country's first negative list for foreign investment was unveiled and implemented. The list was extended to other pilot FTZs in 2015 and implemented nationwide in 2016.

　　2013年中国（上海）自由贸易试验区设立，中国第一份外资准入负面清单发布实施，2015年向其他自贸试验区推广，2016年在全国推行。

　　Apart from the negative list for foreign investment, China has also established the negative list for market access, the first country in the world to introduce the market access negative list into its domestic economic governance. In 2016, the negative list for market access was piloted in four provinces and municipalities in China, and then expanded to 15 provinces and municipalities in 2017. In 2018, a nationwide unified negative list for market access was launched, marking the expansion of the list to the whole country. By implementing the system of a negative list for market access, China has clearly defined the boundaries of government responsibility at the entry stage, fully leveraging the decisive role of the market in resource allocation and institutionalizing this approach.

　　这张清单，又被创造性地引入国内经济治理。2016年在4省市先行试点，2017年扩大到15省市，2018年全国统一的市场准入负面清单上线。将负面清单引入国内经济治理，国际上没有先例。

　　Both the negative list for foreign investment and the negative list for market access started with pilot programs before gradually expanding to more regions based on the experience gained. The negative list system has driven relevant institutional reforms in approval, investment, and regulation, effectively modernizing China's governance system and capacity.

　　两张清单，都从试点起步，取得经验再逐步推开。负面清单制度牵引带动了相关审批、投资、监管等一系列制度的改革，有力促进了国家治理体系和治理能力现代化。

　　At the same time, China has constantly improved the mechanism for dynamic adjustment of the negative list. For instance, the current market access negative list for 2022 has reduced the number of prohibited and restricted items by 64 percent compared to the 2016 pilot edition.

　　与此同时，负面清单的动态调整机制不断优化。目前实行的2022年版市场准入负面清单规定的禁止准入和许可准入事项，相比2016年试点版清单缩减64%。
 

Photo shows an aerial view of the Yangshan special comprehensive bonded zone in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ). (People's Daily Online/Ji Haixin)
 

　　The negative list system represents an important arrangement of China's institutional opening up.

　　负面清单也是制度型开放的重要安排。

　　The gradual shortening of China's negative list for foreign investment parallels the growth of foreign-invested enterprises in China.

　　一张清单的“瘦身”时间表，映照一家外资企业的成长史。

　　The 2018 edition of the country's negative list for foreign investment specified that by 2022, China would remove foreign ownership limits in the automobile industry and lift the regulation preventing foreign automakers from forming more than two joint ventures in the country.

　　2018年版外资准入负面清单明确，到2022年，汽车行业取消外资股比限制，同时取消合资企业不超过两家的限制。

　　In October 2018, the German carmaker BMW Group drafted an agreement to acquire a 25-percent stake in its Chinese joint venture, BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. (BBA). In 2022, as China fully implemented the shortened negative list for foreign investment, the agreement was formally implemented, increasing BMW Group's stake in BBA to 75 percent. In April this year, the German automaker announced an additional investment of 20 billion yuan ($2.75 billion) in BBA's production base in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning province, ready to start localized production of its new models.

　　2018年10月，宝马集团拟定协议，将收购在华合资公司华晨宝马25%股份。2022年，协议伴随负面清单生效而正式履行，宝马集团在华晨宝马所持股份增至75%。今年，宝马再次宣布计划对沈阳生产基地增加投资200亿元，准备启动新车型的本土化生产。

　　The improved negative list system represents China's efforts to promote institutional opening up. China has been committed to promoting high-level opening-up, expanding market access, shortening the negative list for foreign investment, and enhancing the opening up of modern service industries. It has already announced the removal of all restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector.

　　中国将坚定推进高水平开放，扩大市场准入，缩减外资准入负面清单，提升现代服务业开放水平；进一步扩大市场准入，已经宣布全面取消制造业领域外资准入限制措施……中国以负面清单推动制度型开放。

　　The continuously shortened negative list has helped accelerate the opening up of China's service sector.

　　负面清单持续“瘦身”，服务业领域开放按下“快进键”。

　　In March this year, Standard Chartered Securities China Limited (SCSCL), the first newly-established wholly foreign-owned securities firm in China, officially began operations.

　　今年3月，全国首家新设外商独资券商渣打证券（中国）有限公司正式在华展业。

　　The removal of market access restrictions in China's financial sector has motivated Standard Chartered Group to accelerate its business expansion in the country. "The Chinese market has been the largest contributor to Standard Chartered's global network revenue for many years, and we look forward to the broader opportunities brought by China's continuous opening-up," said Jerry Zhang, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank (China) Ltd.

　　金融业准入负面清单“清零”，推动渣打集团加快在华业务布局，“中国已经连续多年成为渣打集团全球网络收入贡献最大的市场，对中国持续开放带来的广阔机遇充满期待。”渣打银行（中国）行长张晓蕾说。
 

A robot applies adhesive to a windshield in the production base of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. (BBA) in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning province. (Photo provided by BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd.)
 

　　From the initial 190 items to the current 31 items in the national version and 27 items in the pilot FTZ version, the shortened negative list for foreign investment has not only facilitated the growth of foreign-invested enterprises in China but also witnessed China's accelerated high-level opening up.

　　从最初的190条，到目前全国版的31条、自贸试验区版的27条……外资准入负面清单的“减法”不仅成就了外资企业发展的“加法”，更见证了中国不断扩大高水平开放的加速度。

　　Institutional opening-up in China's trade sector has also been advanced continuously.

　　贸易领域制度型开放也不断推进。

　　On November 4, 2020, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the third China International Import Expo held in Shanghai. He noted that China will continue to leverage the pioneering role of pilot free trade zones and free trade ports in steering opening up, and will introduce a negative list for cross-border services trade.

　　2020年11月4日，习近平主席在第三届中国国际进口博览会开幕式上的主旨演讲中指出：“中国将有效发挥自由贸易试验区、自由贸易港引领作用，出台跨境服务贸易负面清单”。

　　Eight months later, China released its first negative list for cross-border services trade. Shortly after, Khoo Wun Fat William, a lawyer from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), registered and obtained certification from the department of justice in south China's Hainan province, becoming the first legal consultant from Hong Kong SAR to join a Hainan law firm.

　　8个月后，中国在跨境服务贸易领域第一张负面清单诞生。不久后，香港特别行政区律师丘焕法经海南省司法厅备案发证，成为落户海南律师事务所的首名香港法律顾问。

　　This year, China's Ministry of Commerce rolled out national and pilot FTZ versions of negative lists for cross-border trade in services, extending the negative lists for services trade to the whole country and promoting the tiered opening-up for cross-border trade in services.

　　今年，商务部发布全国版和自贸试验区版跨境服务贸易负面清单，服务贸易负面清单“走”向全国，加快形成跨境服务贸易梯度开放体系。

　　In the first five months of this year, the number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises in China increased by 17.4 percent year on year.

　　今年前5月，中国新设立外商投资企业同比增长17.4%。

　　China attaches great importance to steadily expanding institutional opening-up and market access. By shortening the negative list for foreign investment and creating a more market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment, China will undoubtedly provide a broader market space and more opportunities of win-win cooperation for countries worldwide.

　　稳步扩大制度型开放，进一步扩大市场准入，中国缩减外商投资准入负面清单，形成更加市场化、法治化、国际化的营商环境，必将为世界各国提供更广阔的市场空间，带来更多合作共赢的机遇。