Foreign firms in China say vague rules and tensions with Washington hurting business, survey shows

Foreign companies operating in China say tensions with Washington over technology, trade and other issues and uncertainty over Chinese policies are and causing some to reassess their plans for investing in the giant market.

The results of surveys released Tuesday by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China largely concurred in appealing for greater certainty and clarity over

“For decades, European companies thrived in China, benefitting from a stable and efficient business environment. However, after the turbulent past three years, many have reevaluated their basic assumptions about the Chinese market,” Jens Eskelund, the EU Chamber's president said, in a letter that accompanied the report.

Eskelund said that predictability and reliability had been undermined by “erratic policy shifts,” hurting confidence in China’s growth prospects.

“At the top of a growing list of questions about the Chinese market is, what kind of relationship does China want to have with foreign enterprises?” he said.