A recent survey conducted by a Chinese business group in the United States shows that Chinese companies are still interested in doing business in the United States, even if things are difficult. Most companies surveyed (nearly 60%) want to continue investing the same amount of money in the United States, and some (30%) even want to invest more.
The survey also found that many Chinese companies are concerned about the U.S.-China relationship and the overall health of the U.S. economy. More than 60% of respondents believe the economic environment in the United States is worsening. There is also much more concern (93% compared to 81% last year) that the United States and China are unable to work well together.
The US government has been making it harder for Chinese companies to do business in the US lately. They have monitored some Chinese industries more closely, imposing sanctions on some Chinese companies and products and even trying to prevent Chinese companies from buying some US companies.
The survey found that the biggest challenges for Chinese companies in the United States are confusing U.S. rules and sanctions and the negative feelings that many Americans have toward China. More than 65 percent of respondents said U.S. rules and sanctions were the biggest problem, and 59 percent said negative feelings were the second biggest problem.
The survey also found that many Chinese companies earn less than in the past. In fact, there was a “significant decline in performance” last year, similar to what happened in 2020 during the pandemic. More companies reported a decline in revenue in 2023 than in 2022, with a larger decline for some companies.
The head of the Chinese business group said that both Chinese and US businesses must work together to reduce trade tensions and political problems. He said that trade and investment have always been important to both the United States and China, and that China is still a very important trading partner for the United States.