China announced a new "negative list" June 30 loosening restrictions on foreign investment in seven industries, Nikkei reported July 1, and its National Development and Reform Commission released a new version of its Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment Catalogue, which specifies industries where foreign investment can receive preferential treatment. The former list loosens restrictions in domestic shipping, gas and heating pipelines in cities with more than 500,000 people, construction and movie theater operations. It also paves the way for foreign investment in hydrocarbon exploration and development, and the exploration and mining of minerals such as molybdenum. Some agriculture sectors were also opened up. The list will be effective on July 30, and the restrictions are expected to be fully lifted by the end of 2019. The Encouraged Industry catalog meanwhile offered preferential treatment to foreign investment in 415 industries nationwide and 693 industries in the central, western and northeastern regions.