China on Tuesday vowed to promote foreign investment with a focus on the manufacturing sector.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement that the country will improve the implementation of the negative list for foreign investment and "transform the opening-up policy" into "tangible foreign investment projects" as soon as possible.

Last year, China cut the number of items that were off-limits to foreign investors from 33 to 31, marking the fifth consecutive year that the world's second largest economy shortened the list.

To strengthen services for foreign investors, the NDRC said it will facilitate cross-border travel for those who worked for foreign enterprises.

The country's top economic planner also said it will work on improving the quality of foreign investment and optimize its entire structure.

On Monday, China posted a 3.9-percent year-on-year increase in its third-quarter GDP, beating a Reuters forecast of 3.4 percent.