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BEIJING, Jan. 3-- The State Council made arrangements to optimize the business environment to stimulate market vitality and social creativity, at an executive meeting Wednesday. Premier Li Keqiang, who chaired the meeting, called for universal use of a negative list of sectors and businesses off limits to foreign investment to control market entry. Optimizing business environment would help productivity and competitiveness, he said. The business environment is the foundation for developing a modern economy and ensuring high-quality development, the premier said. Greater efforts should be made in streamlining administration, compliance oversight and offering better services. An internationally competitive business environment would have equal treatment for domestic and foreign enterprises and stimulate market entities and social creativity," he said. China was ranked the 78th in ease of doing business, according to a 2017 report by the World Bank, up from the 96th place in 2013. The government will cut red tapes, reduce taxes and slash fees for enterprises. It was decided at the meeting that more efforts will be made to slash or cancel fees paid by enterprises, including operational and service fees and fees charged by sectoral associations and chambers of commerce. Costs for customs clearance will be lowered. The government will further simply the procedures of administrative review and speed up approval procedures for business start-up, tax payments, application for construction permit and water, electricity and gas services, and real estate registration. The slashing of electricity price will also be a priority. | 
