China Sets Schedule For Implementation Of Negative List System For Market Access

China's State Council on October 19, 2015 published the Opinions on Implementing the Negative List System for Market Access (Opinions),¹ specifying that China intends to implement a unified national negative list system for market access in 2018.

The concept of the negative list with respect to foreign investment was introduced to China in bilateral investment treaty (BIT) negotiations with the United States. Implementation of a negative list is now accepted as part of China's continuing effort to deepen reform of the socialist market economy; combine the role of the market in allocating resources with the role played by government; relax while continuing to regulate market access; streamline administrative approval procedures; strengthen market supervision; and accelerate the establishment of an open, fair, competitive and well-regulated market where enterprises make their own decisions and clear boundaries on government power in the economy are drawn.