Foreign companies will not see significant market access openings as a result of China's draft of the revised Catalogue Guiding Foreign Investment in Industry, released for comment on April 1. Despite numerous statements from senior PRC leadership that the revised catalogue would present substantial investment opportunities for foreign companies, the draft retains nearly all the restrictions that have raised concerns among US-China Business Council (USCBC...
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April 20th, 2011
April 20th, 2011
In meetings with senior PRC government officials last week, US-China Business Council (USCBC) President John Frisbie urged officials to delink government procurement from innovation preferences, further open market access for foreign investment, and implement more effective deterrents to intellectual property infringement. In addition, Frisbie met with country and regional executives from USCBC member companies in Beijing and Shanghai to discuss the...
April 20th, 2011
As the PRC central government takes actions to address China's environmental problems, including by committing to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in industry, policymakers are preparing to implement environment taxes and other market-based conservation solutions. The measures, which include taxes on pollutants such as sulfur and carbon dioxide, could create new costs for companies in China.
To prepare the country...
April 16th, 2011
The US-China Business Council (USCBC) recently met with Jiangsu Department of Science and Technology (S&T) officials to discuss the province's engagement with foreign companies and implementation of high- and new-technology enterprise (HNTE) policy. The meeting was part of USCBC's ongoing efforts to build relationships with provincial government agencies across China, an increasingly important component of a successful government relations strategy....
April 16th, 2011
The PRC National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), and other relevant departments last Friday published a revised draft of the Catalogue Guiding Foreign Investment in Industry for a 30-day comment period. The catalogue is PRC policymakers' primary tool for managing and directing inbound foreign direct investment (FDI, see box).
The revised draft indicates a greater focus on "...
April 16th, 2011
US and PRC officials convened for the US-China Investment Forum on March 29 in Beijing to address issues regarding investment environments, barriers, and other. The forum featured strong interagency participation on both sides, and participants noted a positive tone during the meetings. The forum for the first time included private-sector participation, and the US-China Business Council (USCBC) played a role in organizing and presenting during this portion...
April 16th, 2011
Following the recent release of broad energy and environmental goals under China's 12th Five-Year Plan (FYP, 2011-15), key PRC agencies last week issued specific environmental targets for 2011 and beyond. The agency targets show that the government is pushing environmental efforts to meet 12th FYP goals, and that industry will be responsible for the bulk of the country's energy consumption cutbacks.
The PRC...
April 16th, 2011
The US-China Business Council (USCBC) last week submitted recommendations for concrete steps that PRC government officials should take to improve intellectual property rights (IPR) protection in China--a top operating concern for USCBC member companies. The letter recommends that the PRC government make permanent the efforts of its extended IPR campaign. The letter also provides feedback on specific IPR concerns, including infringement penalties and...
March 23rd, 2011
A recent People's Bank of China (PBOC) survey shows Chinese consumers' willingness to spend is at an all-time low, putting additional pressure on the PRC government to meet its 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) goal of increasing domestic demand and rebalancing the economy. Though Though PRC Premier Wen Jiabao has said that controlling inflation will be a top economic priority in 2011, it remains unclear whether the government will be able to control prices...
March 23rd, 2011
A recent People's Bank of China (PBOC) survey shows Chinese consumers' willingness to spend is at an all-time low, putting additional pressure on the PRC government to meet its 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) goal of increasing domestic demand and rebalancing the economy. Though Though PRC Premier Wen Jiabao has said that controlling inflation will be a top economic priority in 2011, it remains unclear whether the government will be able to control prices...