‘Foreign firms feeling less welcome in China’

Bloomberg

Three quarters of companies surveyed by the American Chamber of Commerce in China say they feel unwelcome, reflecting perceptions foreign firms aren’t treated equally to domestic competitors.
The disparity in some cases comes from uneven enforcement of the law, which some firms say has become a version of protectionism, according to a survey. Protectionism is one of the top challenges, along with rising labour costs and supply of skilled workers, even as an increasing share of firms report rising revenues, according to responses from more than 400 companies in the survey conducted in 2017.
“There’s no question that over the last 20 years that we’ve been carrying out this survey that things have improved, and in fact it seemed like China was on a trajectory to be more open, be more market based and to be more in line with international trade rules and regulations,” AmCham Chairman William Zarit said. “But, that seems to have stopped.”
Long-simmering commercial disputes between the US and China came closer to escalating into a full-blown trade war this month after President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on imports of solar panels and washing machines, targeting China and others. While Beijing has urged restraint, officials have plenty of options to retaliate against American producers.