BEIJING, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Pilot free trade zones (FTZs) in China are working on detailed measures to promote operation of foreign investment, after lowering thresholds for their access to the Chinese market, according to the Xinhua-run Economic Information Daily.
The negative list for foreign investment has been the most important basic reform measure since the establishment of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone five years ago.
Compared with its original version, the 2018 version of the negative list has been shortened by nearly 80 percent, and the special management measures have been reduced from 190 to 45.
It is worth noting that the threshold for foreign investment in key areas, including finance, manufacturing, education and health care has also been lowered.
Since the launch of the FTZs, the negative list mode in China has taken root and fueled the country's opening-up. The key is to implement these opening-up measures, said Li Jun, an expert at Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAITEC) under Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC).
As a whole, the focus of future reforms will be aimed at giving more autonomy to the FTZs to ensure real effects of the negative list, Li added. (Edited by Li Wenxin, liwenxin@xinhua.org)
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