- China’s unified market-access negative list was cut to 106 items in the 2025 edition, down from 117 in 2022, extending the “national single list” model and enforcing the “non-prohibited-is-open” principle.
2025年版市场准入负面清单由2022年版117项缩减至106项，全国统一清单模式持续拓宽，”非禁即入”原则刚性落地。- The 2025 version deletes or relaxes measures across seal-engraving, TV-production setup, and online pharmaceutical/medical-device information services, while adding statutory emerging-sector items such as drone operations and e-cigarettes.
2025版直接删除或放开公章刻制、电视剧制作单位设立、药品医疗器械互联网信息服务等一批措施，并依法纳入无人机运营、电子烟等新业态准入事项。- Foreign investors remain subject to the separate Foreign Investment Access Negative List; as of 2026 the manufacturing sector’s restrictions are fully zeroed at 29 national items, with services the next opening front.
外资仍适用单独的外商投资准入负面清单；截至2026年制造业限制已全面清零、全国版保留29条，服务业成为下一阶段开放重点。- A market-access barrier clean-up campaign is running, publicising typical cases and using a closed-loop rectification mechanism to remove “glass doors” and “revolving doors” outside the list.
市场准入壁垒清理整治行动已启动，通过公开通报典型案例与核实整改闭环机制，破除清单之外的”玻璃门””弹簧门””旋转门”。- The 2026 “Stabilise and Improve Foreign Investment” action plan anchors the post-access phase: solving “access granted but operation blocked” through services opening and national treatment.
2026年《利用外资固稳促优行动方案》聚焦”准入后准营”，以服务业开放与国民待遇破解”大门开、小门不开”。- Practical step: map the target sector against both the market-access and the foreign-investment negative lists, and use pilot zones plus the one-stop service window for licensing.
实操建议：将目标行业同时对照市场准入负面清单与外资准入负面清单，并借助试点区域与一站式服务专窗办理许可。
China’s Unified Market Access Negative List System and Foreign Investment: The 2025 Edition, Barrier Clean-up, and the Shift from Manufacturing to Services | 全国统一市场准入负面清单制度与外资准入：2025版清单、准入壁垒清理与制造业清零后的服务业开放
China’s market-access governance rests on two parallel but distinct negative lists: the Market Access Negative List (市场准入负面清单), which binds every business form equally inside China, and the Foreign Investment Access Negative List (外商投资准入负面清单), which adds a layer of sector restrictions specific to foreign capital. For a foreign investor, understanding both is the first step to a compliant market entry. The 2025 edition of the market-access list and the 2026 foreign-investment posture together define the current opening trajectory.
The 2025 Market Access Negative List
In April 2025, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) jointly released the *Market Access Negative List (2025 Edition)*. The item count fell from 117 in the 2022 edition to 106, with national sub-measures reduced from 486 to 469 and local measures from 36 to 20. The revision follows four improvements: a strengthened “national single list” authority, clearer implementation rules for licensed items, better alignment with other access regimes, and more standardised, convenient access.
Concrete relaxations include moving seal-engraving from a licence to a filing, reforming the sale of computer-information-security products into standards-based certification, and removing licences for TV-production-unit setup, pharmaceutical and medical-device internet information services, and the trial operation of certain telecom services. At the same time, the list brings in new-economy items under statutory authority — drone-operation certificates (except micro drones) under the *Unmanned Aircraft Operation Administration Regulation*, and e-cigarette production, wholesale and retail approvals under the *Tobacco Monopoly Law*.
Foreign investment access after manufacturing zeroing
The foreign-investment negative list has been compressed to 29 national items. Critically, all manufacturing-sector access restrictions have been zeroed — the first industry to achieve full liberalisation. At a March 2026 State Council policy briefing, NDRC confirmed the list now stands at 29 items nationally and 27 in pilot free-trade zones, with the next phase focused on services: telecom, internet, education, culture and healthcare will be opened “orderly”. The 2026 *Stabilise and Improve Foreign Investment Action Plan* (MOFCOM, NDRC, Ministry of Finance; 商资发〔2026〕97号) frames the task as moving from “access” to “operation” — fixing the “big door open, small door closed” problem through services opening and national treatment.
Barrier clean-up campaign
A core message of the 2025 list is that items outside the list must be genuinely open. To that end, NDRC, MOFCOM and SAMR launched a market-access barrier clean-up, publicly notifying typical cases (seven batches, 115 cases to date) and building a clue-collection, verification, rectification and disclosure loop. The campaign targets local rules and practices that unlawfully add access conditions or erect “glass doors” and “revolving doors”. For foreign investors, this means a provincial measure that quietly blocks a listed-open sector can be reported and corrected.
Practical steps for foreign investors
- Screen both lists. Confirm the sector is outside — or acceptably inside — both the market-access and the foreign-investment negative lists before committing capital.
- Use the pilot pathway. Telecom, medical and education openings are proceeding via designated pilot zones; apply there rather than assuming nationwide access.
- Engage the one-stop window. Provincial investment-service desks and the “Invest in China” digital platform consolidate licensing, consultation and feedback.
- Watch the barrier clean-up. If a local rule impedes an otherwise-open sector, use the disclosure channel; the campaign is designed to remove it.
- Plan for operation, not just access. Post-entry, align with data-security, Anti-Monopoly and tax obligations early.
全国统一市场准入负面清单制度与外资准入：2025版清单、准入壁垒清理与制造业清零后的服务业开放
中国的市场准入治理建立在两张并行却又不同的负面清单之上：对境内各类经营主体一体适用的市场准入负面清单，以及针对外资额外叠加行业限制的外商投资准入负面清单。对外资而言，同时读懂两张清单是合规进入市场的第一步。2025年版市场准入清单与2026年外资准入姿态，共同定义了当前的开放路径。
2025年版市场准入负面清单
2025年4月，国家发展改革委、商务部、市场监管总局联合发布《市场准入负面清单（2025年版）》。清单事项由2022年版的117项缩减至106项，全国性具体管理措施由486条减至469条，地方性措施由36条减至20条。本次修订围绕”四个完善”展开：强化”全国一张清单”权威、明确许可准入事项的实施要求、完善与其他准入规定的衔接、提升规范化便利化水平。
具体的放宽包括：公章刻制业由许可改为备案，计算机信息系统安全专用产品销售改为基于强制性国家标准的检测认证，取消电视剧制作单位设立、药品和医疗器械互联网信息服务、试办新型电信业务等管理措施。与此同时，清单依据法定授权纳入新业态事项——依《无人驾驶航空器运营管理条例》将民用无人驾驶航空器运营合格证核发纳入，依《烟草专卖法实施条例》将电子烟等新型烟草制品生产、批发、零售审批纳入。
制造业清零后的外资准入
外商投资准入负面清单已压缩至全国版29条。关键突破在于制造业领域准入限制全面”清零”——成为首个实现全面开放的产业。在2026年3月的国务院政策吹风会上，国家发展改革委确认全国版保留29项、自贸试验区版27项，下一阶段以服务业为重点，推动电信、互联网、教育、文化、医疗等领域”有序扩大开放”。2026年《利用外资固稳促优行动方案》（商务部、国家发展改革委、财政部，商资发〔2026〕97号）将任务定位于从”准入”转向”准营”——以服务业开放与国民待遇破解”大门开、小门不开”的具体问题。
准入壁垒清理整治
2025版清单的核心信号是：清单之外必须真放开。为此，国家发展改革委、商务部、市场监管总局联合开展市场准入壁垒清理整治行动，已向社会公开通报7期115个违背清单的典型案例，并建立线索归集、核实整改、案例通报的闭环机制。行动剑指违规增设准入条件、设立”玻璃门””弹簧门””旋转门”的地方性规定与做法。对外资而言，这意味着某省份悄悄阻断本已开放行业的做法，可以被举报并纠正。
外资实操步骤
- 双清单筛查。 在投入资本前，确认目标行业同时处于市场准入负面清单与外资准入负面清单的”之外”或”可承受之内”。
- 走试点路径。 电信、医疗、教育等开放正通过指定试点区域推进，应在试点区内申请，而非假设全国放开。
- 对接一站式窗口。 省级投资服务专窗与”投资中国”数字综合服务平台整合了许可、咨询与反馈功能。
- 关注壁垒清理。 若地方规定阻碍本已开放的行业，可走披露渠道；行动的设计目的就是清除此类障碍。
- 既谋准入也谋准营。 进入后尽早对齐数据安全、反垄断与税务义务。
Practitioner Quick Reference
- Two lists, not one: the market-access negative list binds every entity; the foreign-investment negative list adds foreign-capital sector limits on top.
两张清单而非一张：市场准入负面清单约束所有主体；外资准入负面清单在其上额外叠加外资行业限制。 - 2025 edition = 106 items: down from 117 in 2022; study the deleted and relaxed measures for fresh openings.
2025版=106项：较2022版117项缩减；研究被删除与放开的措施以发现新开放。 - Manufacturing zeroed, services next: 29 national items remain, concentrated in services (telecom, medical, education, culture).
制造业清零、服务业接棒：全国版保留29项，集中在服务业（电信、医疗、教育、文化）。 - Barrier clean-up is live: report local “glass doors” through the disclosure channel; typical cases are publicised.
壁垒清理已启动：经披露渠道举报地方”玻璃门”；典型案例公开通报。 - Use the window: provincial investment desks and the “Invest in China” portal consolidate licensing and consultation.
善用窗口：省级投资专窗与”投资中国”门户整合许可与咨询。
Common Pitfalls
- Assuming nationwide access: pilot-zone openings (telecom, medical, education) are not automatic national licences.
误以为全国放开：试点区域开放（电信、医疗、教育）并非自动生效的全国牌照。 - Ignoring the clean-up campaign: a local rule blocking an otherwise-open sector is challengeable, not final.
忽视清理行动：地方规定阻碍本已开放的行业是可被纠正的，并非终局。 - Confusing the two lists: screening only one of them risks missing a foreign-capital-specific restriction.
混淆两张清单：只筛查其中一张，可能漏掉外资专项限制。
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