China has cut the number of restrictions on foreign investment for new pilot free trade zones in Tianjin, Guangdong and Fujian and also for the zone in Shanghai.

Assistant Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said on Monday all such zones will implement a unified and friendlier business environment for foreign investment.

To increase transparency, the central government has made public a "negative list" of foreign investment applicable to the four zones. For the Shanghai zone, the number of restricted items on the list has been cut to 122 from 139 last year.