China's 2020 negative list more open in services, manufacturing and agricultural sectors

Foreign investors will be given more freedom in the service, manufacturing and agricultural sectors based on the newly released negative list for 2020, according to China's economic planner on Wednesday.

In the first five months of this year, the country's foreign direct investment (FDI) was down 3.8 percent year on year but narrowed by seven percentage points compared to the first quarter of the year.

China will beef up efforts to maintain stable foreign trade and investment, as the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to the world economy, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan told media at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual national legislative session last month.