Restrictions on foreign investment in China’s manufacturing sector will be lifted with the release of the 2024 version of the “negative list” for foreign investment access, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).
The updated negative list, effective 1 November, reduces the number of restrictions from 31 to 29, meaning investment restrictions in the manufacturing sector will be scrapped.
The release and implementation of the 2024 negative list marks a significant step towards establishing a higher-level open economy, an NDRC insider says.
At the same time, China plans to allow wholly foreign-owned hospitals to be set up in several major cities, and let foreign investors offer human stem cell and gene therapy services in pilot free-trade zones.
These moves aim to bring back foreign investment and stabilize growth.
