Foreign investment welcomed in gas and heating network

The government's widening of market access for foreign investment in the urban gas and heat-supply pipeline network represents a major opportunity and has been well received by domestic gas companies.

The National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce released two updated negative lists for this year under which gas and heat pipelines in cities with more than 500,000 people no longer needed to be controlled by Chinese entities.

Li Li, energy research director at ICIS China, a think tank focusing on energy trends, said the industry direction has been for a more open and tolerant environment for both domestic and foreign players in the energy-related infrastructure facility construction sector.