China stepped up its defense of recent antitrust probes into companies including Microsoft (MSFT:US) Corp. and Volkswagen AG (VOW) after U.S. and European trade groups said investigators were unfairly targeting foreign businesses. In a rare joint press briefing in Beijing yesterday, China’s three antitrust regulators rebuffed such claims by saying only about 10 percent of anti-monopoly investigations have involved foreign businesses, echoing comments made by Premier Li Keqiang earlier this week. They also rebutted allegations that companies were denied legal representation during the probes. Pressure has been building on Chinese authorities to respond after probes of global companies drew protests in the past month from European and U.S. trade groups, warning that such scrutiny was undermining the country’s appeal. As the world’s second-largest economy slows, Li sought to counter such concerns this week by pledging to improve conditions for attracting foreign investment. On Aug. 13, the Beijing-based European Union Chamber of Commerce issued a statement saying that local authorities were picking on foreigners, abusing their power through intimidation tactics, and preventing companies from bringing attorneys to hearings. Beijing’s American Chamber of Commerce in China, the U.S.-China Business Council and the Washington-based U.S. Chamber of Commerce soon followed in issuing reports or statements voicing similar concerns.