New negative list nails down rules nationwide

The rolling out of a negative list for market access nationwide on Tuesday is another significant move to open up the Chinese market to domestic and overseas investors.

Many foreign companies with investments in China have gained handsomely from the country's economic development. Still, some foreign enterprises have complained about a lack of unified regulatory rules that they can follow when doing business in the country.

Without such rules, they say, they do not know which industries they can invest in and which they cannot, and they can be subject to the willful regulatory moves of some local government agencies.