August 30 (Xinhua) — Li Chunlin, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said on August 30 that the NDRC, together with the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration for Market Regulation and other departments, is orderly advancing the revision of the new edition of the Negative List for Market Access. A revised version has now been formed and will be issued and implemented after being submitted for approval in accordance with procedures.

　　On August 30, the State Council Information Office held a press conference on the Opinions of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council on Improving the Market Access System. At the meeting, a reporter asked: The Opinions set out clear requirements for improving the management model of the negative list for market access. Could you introduce the main considerations? How is the revision of the new edition of the negative list for market access progressing?

　　Li Chunlin introduced that the Opinions adhere to a problem-oriented approach and make corresponding institutional arrangements. In terms of improving the management of a "single national list," the Opinions make clear that all types of national-level access-related lists and catalogues compiled as required, as well as those involving market access in areas such as industry, investment, environment and territorial spatial planning, shall all be incorporated into negative list management, so as to promote greater integration and alignment of the national-level access system, strengthen systematic integration, and strive to achieve full horizontal and vertical coverage. At the same time, it is made clear that it is strictly prohibited to establish access permits in violation of regulations outside the list, add access conditions in violation of regulations, formulate negative lists of a market access nature on one's own, or set access barriers in violation of regulations in the course of implementing franchising, designated operation, testing and certification, etc. In recent years, the NDRC, together with relevant departments, has cleaned up and abolished more than 20 negative lists related to market access that were set up in various places in violation of regulations, and the rigidity of the system has been continuously strengthened.

　　In terms of improving market access rules, the Opinions, for the first time, clearly define corresponding access rules by category according to the nature of different industries and fields. For fully competitive fields, a policy of easy entry and strict supervision is implemented, substantially reducing access restrictions; for fields involving national security, the lifelines of the national economy, and major productivity layout, strategic resource development and major public interests, access restrictions may be set, but must be carried out in accordance with laws and regulations; for new business forms and new fields, the development patterns and characteristics of the industries are respected, and corresponding access systems are deployed in a forward-looking manner to better promote the development of new quality productive forces. For example, in the revision of the negative list for market access in recent years, a number of management measures such as "approval of qualifications of fire protection technical service institutions, issuance of security training licenses, and establishment permits for elderly care institutions" have been deleted, while at the same time access management has been implemented in accordance with the law for important industries such as financial holding companies. This is the concrete embodiment of this concept.

　　In terms of improving the procedures for adjusting access measures, the Opinions refine specific requirements such as prohibition of entry and licensed access, and further propose that before new market access management measures are added or adjusted, the competent industry authorities shall first carry out policy evaluations and then, in accordance with statutory procedures, request amendments to laws and regulations; when major sudden risks to economic operation may be caused, temporary access measures may be adopted, but must be reported to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council for approval, effectively strengthening the seriousness of the formulation and adjustment of access policies. This also avoids the situation in which individual departments or localities arbitrarily suspend market access in certain fields, which is conducive to stabilizing market expectations. These requirements put forward in the Opinions have defined the direction for the subsequent adjustment and implementation of the negative list for market access.

　　Li Chunlin said that regarding the revision of the new edition of the Negative List for Market Access, the NDRC is currently, together with the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration for Market Regulation and other departments, orderly advancing the revision of the new edition of the list. A revised version has now been formed and will be issued and implemented after being submitted for approval in accordance with procedures. The new edition of the list will fully implement the requirements of the Opinions, closely connect with the reform of the administrative approval system, the reform of the "separation of permits and licenses" system and the new round of institutional reform, and promote the further reduction of items on the list, releasing more reform momentum for high-quality development.