Updated negative list reduced items from 117 in 2022 to 106 currently

China's accelerated efforts to build a unified national market will not only eliminate domestic market barriers, but also open broader opportunities for foreign investors, as the country deepens market-oriented reforms and high-standard opening-up, experts said on Monday.

"Building a unified national market is not just critical to smoothing out domestic circulation, but is also key to fostering a key competitive edge in global cooperation and competition," said Wang Chenwei, director of the Macroeconomy Research Office at the National Development and Reform Commission's Economic System and Management Institute.

Wang's comments came after a key meeting of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs held last week called for heightened efforts to develop a unified national market.

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The meeting highlighted key requirements for developing a unified national market — standardizing market rules, infrastructure, government conduct, market regulation and law enforcement, as well as resource allocation, while continuing to expand both domestic and international openness.

China first outlined a detailed set of policy measures in 2022 to develop a unified national market, aimed at ending local protectionism and unifying the fragmented market in order to remove key hurdles to economic growth.

"The accelerated push for building a unified national market means China will become more open, providing more space and opportunities for foreign capital to participate," said Bai Wenxi, vice-chairman of the China Enterprise Capital Union.

Bai said the latest policy language — shifting from "breaking barriers "to "establishing new systems" — signals a strategic pivot from internal integration toward coordinated development of both internal and external markets.

"It underscores a systemic transformation toward aligning with international high-standard rules while deepening reforms of the market-based allocation of production factors and promoting regional integration," he added.

Bai also highlighted the unprecedented inclusion of "standardizing government conduct" as a formal policy requirement. "This will help guide greater coherence across other domains and sharpen the focus of building a unified national market."

Official data showed the updated negative list for market access has reduced the number of items from 117 in the 2022 version to 106 in 2025, further opening up sectors to both domestic firms and foreign enterprises.

Despite the continued improvements, some challenges still persist. Wang from the NDRC's Economic System and Management Institute noted there still remain issues in building a unified national market like market fragmentation and local protectionism, saying it is essential to build up institutional rules to support its construction while dismantling regulatory and administrative obstacles that hinder it.

The message to global investors is clear — a more open, standardized and united Chinese market is taking shape, offering rising development opportunities for global stakeholders.

"We have always had confidence in the China market and will continue to deepen our roots here," said Kok Leong Lim, president of professional solutions at EssilorLuxottica Greater China. "We have high expectations for the future performance of the China market."

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Grupo Bimbo, a Mexican food conglomerate, is also deepening its footprint in China with significant investments and strategic initiatives aimed at capitalizing on the country's massive market potential, signaling optimism about China's long-term development.

"We greatly appreciate the government's commitment to high-standard opening-up, which has consistently created opportunities for Bimbo China," said Kelly Zhang, general manager of Bimbo China.

"China grew dramatically during the past decades. It's not an easy journey. As long as there is a clear direction, the Chinese government can put all the resources or energy together and create miracles."

Contact the writer at ouyangshijia@chinadaily.com.cn