Market News International: 

During the 15th Five-Year Plan, can the negative list for foreign investment access be further shortened? What specific opening-up measures can take place in the services sector, such as telecommunications, healthcare, and education? And do you have a clear timetable for this?

Zheng Bei:

Thank you for your questions. We will unswervingly advance high-standard opening up. I would like to invite Ms. Chen Lei, director general of the NDRC's Department of Development Planning, to answer these questions.

Chen Lei:

Thank you for your questions. Continuously optimizing the environment for overseas investment through measures including expanding access is crucial for advancing high-standard opening up. The CPC Central Committee's recommendations clarify that upholding opening up and cooperation for mutual benefit is an essential requirement for Chinese modernization. The draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) implements the deployment of the CPC Central Committee's recommendations, offering a comprehensive explanation on actively expanding self-initiated opening up, improving the quality and level of trade and investment cooperation, pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. The aim is to develop new institutions for a higher-standard open economy, and share opportunities with the rest of the world and promote common development. Here, I would like to highlight three measures.

First, we should proactively expand self-initiated opening up. In recent years, China's level of opening up has been continuously improving. The negative list for foreign investment has been reduced to 29 items, with all restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector being eliminated. Next, we will expand market access and open up more areas, particularly in the service sector. We will promote orderly expansion of opening up in telecommunications, the internet, education, culture, medical care, and other sectors, advance comprehensive pilot demonstrations for expanding opening up in the service industry, and reduce the negative list for foreign investment. Our goal is to create a broader investment space for foreign enterprises in China. Meanwhile, a diverse array of pacesetters in promoting opening up will be established. At the end of 2025, the Hainan Free Trade Port officially launched island-wide special customs operations. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we will continue to advance opening up in key areas including trade, investment, and the flow of production factors. The strategy to upgrade pilot free trade zones (FTZs) will be implemented to encourage eligible pilot FTZs to carry out more pioneering trials in areas such as digital economy, technological innovation, and offshore trade.

Second, we should promote the innovative development of trade. In 2025, China's total goods trade import and export reached 6.35 trillion U.S. dollars, while service trade exceeded 1 trillion U.S. dollars. China has become the primary trade partner of over 160 countries and regions around the world. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, efforts will be made to improve the quality and efficiency of foreign trade, promote balanced development of imports and exports, revise the catalog of technologies, products, and services that the country encourages for import, improve the negative list management system for cross-border service trade, and enhance policy environments for bonded repair and remanufacturing, as well as new types of offshore trade. We will also continue to hold major exhibitions, including the China International Import Expo, the Canton Fair, and the China International Fair for Trade in Services, offering countries around the world with broader market opportunities.

Third, we should create greater space for two-way investment cooperation. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China attracted over 750 billion U.S. dollars in foreign investment, and extended its overseas investments to 190 countries and regions. For the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we will continue to improve the environment for foreign investment, fully implement national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises, and improve the service and support system for foreign investors. By ensuring both easy market access and accommodating business environments, we welcome more foreign-funded enterprises to invest in China and share the huge development space in advanced manufacturing, modern services, high-tech industries, energy conservation and environmental protection. At the same time, we will improve comprehensive overseas services to support qualified enterprises in pursuing mutually-beneficial overseas investment cooperation.

We believe that by continuously expanding high-standard opening up, and promoting reform and development through opening up, we will effectively promote unimpeded domestic and international economic flows, sharing development opportunities with the rest of the world, and better creating new horizons for mutually beneficial cooperation. Thank you.