AmCham-China's survey on foreign firms 'debatable'

BEIJING - An official with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Wednesday that a recent survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, or AmCham-China, has under-represented foreign businesses in China, making the survey results debatable.

According to the group's annual business climate survey, which was released on March 29, 28 percent of respondents said they saw China's investment environment improving, down from 43 percent the previous year.

The report also said more than a quarter of respondents said they had experienced data breaches or theft in their China operations.

The MOC official, who works with the ministry's Department of American and Oceanian Affairs, said AmCham-China's report was based on answers from 325 respondents among its 1,100 members, but the number of foreign-funded enterprises in China has exceeded 285,000, with over 20,000 funded by American firms.

The negative conclusions on China's business climate or data security problems, derived from the views of a portion of AmCham-China members, cannot represent the entirety of foreign-funded firms in China, according to the official, who declined to be named.

Whether the survey results are scientific, rigorous and serious is a matter for argument, the MOC official said.

Such results will mislead the decision-making process of international investors considering China's market conditions and investment opportunities, the official said, adding that some foreign media have already sent false signals to the business community by citing the conclusions of the survey.

Previous surveys by authoritative organizations, including the United Nations Conference of Trade and Development, show that China has long been one of the most attractive destinations for global investment, according to the official.

As host to investors from more than 190 countries and regions, the Chinese government will continue to facilitate foreign investment in China and handle the reasonable concerns of global investors, said the official.