China - 中国国际贸易促进委员会

the US economy, businesses that had
invested in China were returning to the
US market.
But others cited rising labor costs
as a reason.
China announced in April 2010
that it would try to attract more foreign
investment in the high-tech, energy and
service sectors, a switch in focus from
low-end manufacturing.
“We expect the US to encourage
more high-end investment into China,
particularly in the service sector,” Yao
said.
The White Paper also expressed
their confidence in the opportunities
in next 5 years in China. It said that
China’s 12th Five-Year Plan realistically
proposes the goal that China grow
at a slower rate of seven percent per
year and shift to a domestic demanddriven
model. This will require growth
of house-hold income, development
of services, and large investments in
education, healthcare and the pension
system.
There will also be large investments
in energy efficiency and new
technology intended to increase productivity.
Senior leaders have stated that
successful execution of the 12th Five-
Year Plan necessitates deepening and
accelerating reform and opening, and
giving greater scope for foreign capital
in China’s markets.
Still with some worries
The AmCham China listed the
problems that their member companies
confronted in China and proposed
some suggestions for both governments.
According to their survey, the top five
business challenges were:
• Bureaucracy,
• Management-level human resources constraints,
• Unclear laws and regulations,
• Inconsistent regulatory interpretation, and
• Intellectual property rights (IPR) infringement.
It is striking that three of the top five challenges relate directly to government
performance and one relates indirectly in the sense that enforcement by
the authorities has been inadequate to deter intellectual property rights infringement.
This theme continues if issues are looked at further down the list:
Corruption,
• Obtaining required licenses,
• Non-management level human resources,
• National protectionism,
• Local protectionism, and
• Diffculty enforcing contract terms.
When asked about the opinion on the problems and suggestions that the
White Paper proposed to the Chinese Government, Yao Jian, spokesman of the
MOFCOM expressed most of their suggestions were reasonable and the Chinese
Government should take measures to improve.
Christian Murck, President of AmCham China, expressed his great appreciation
on Chinese government’s extension for the 6-month campaign of crashing
down IPR breaching acts.
At the 3rd round of S&E D, Chinese Government also pledged to strengthen
the IPR protection and further improve the business environment etc.
While on the high-tech products export control issue, China have been urging
the US to ease the control. The AmCham China also expressed that the overly
restrictive regulations and policies result in ineffective controls and unintended consequences,
such as lost US export opportunities and diminished revenues for US
companies that harm US economic and national security goals. Before the S&E D,
Christian Murck, told the reporter that they would do some lobby in Washington
on this issue. At this round of Dialogue, the US promised to ease the control and
try to acknowledge China’s market economy status as soon as possible.
S&E D should help further mutual economic cooperation
On May 10, the two-day 3 rd round of Sino-US Strategic & Economic Dialogue
ended in Washington with the two sides signing 112 agreements, of which
64 are in economic sector and 48 are on strategic level. U.S.-China Comprehensive
Framework for Promoting Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth and Economic
Cooperation was also signed in this round of Dialogue. “The United States
and China affirm that both countries will, based on common interest, promote
more extensive economic cooperation, from a strategic, long-term, and overarching
perspective, to work together to build a comprehensive and mutually beneficial economic
partnership, add to prosperity and welfare in the two countries, and achieve
strong, sustainable, and balanced growth of the world economy,” noted the framework.
Both countries aimed at taking measures to promote more
balanced bilateral trade, resolving trade and investment disputes
in a constructive and cooperative manner, exploring new cooperation
opportunities in the process of transforming and restructuring
their economies, developing sub-national economic cooperation and
deepening cooperation in the financial sector.
“Generally, this round of dialogue is very positive. And both
China and US tried to avoid quarrel on the dispute, but more on
dialogue, pledging on reducing the barrier for mutual investment
and trade exchange in their respective domestic countries. Though
I am not optimistic about the US’ commitment on acknowledging
China’s market economy status, I still say the Dialogue is positive
and helpful for the cooperation of the two countries.” Tu Xinquan,
told the reporter.
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