BEIJING — China will continue to widen market access for foreign investors next year, a commerce ministry official said on Dec 23.

The negative list for foreign investment is expected to be further shortened in 2019, Tang Wenhong, head of foreign investment management department under the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), told Xinhua during the MOC work conference.

The ministry will also push for the lifting of market access restrictions on foreign investment in sectors that are not on the negative list to level the playing field for Chinese companies and foreign enterprises, Tang said.

China has adopted a foreign investment administration model of pre-establishment national treatment plus negative list.

As part of its efforts to further open up, the country unveiled a shortened negative list for foreign investment in June, cutting the number of items down to 48 from 63 and removing access restrictions in various sectors.