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The annual report by the American Chamber of
Commerce in Shanghai - the self-dubbed voice of American
business in China - said 43 percent of respondents in a survey
of its members were "optimistic" about prospects.
The reading was the lowest since the series began and compared
with 53 percent a year earlier. Those who were "slightly
optimistic" rose to 42 percent from 33 percent.
Chinese economic growth hit a 24-year low of 7.4 percent in
2014, and the government is widely expected to cut the growth
target this year to around 7 percent - the lowest goal in 11
years - at the National People's Congress starting on Thursday.
AmCham's survey, conducted from late October to early December,
made no mention of China's plans to introduce a
counter-terrorism law that would require technology firms to
hand over encryption keys and install security "backdoors".
In an interview with Reuters on Monday, U.S. President Barack
Obama sharply criticized the new law, urging China to change the
policy if it wants to do business with the United States.
Over half of companies surveyed felt there was an increased
chance of being targeted by a government anti-monopoly drive
which in recent years has enveloped industries as diverse as
milk powder makers, electronics firms and car manufacturers.
Nearly a third of respondents said such investigations pose
great risk to their businesses, up from 13 percent in 2014, with
companies in healthcare, technology, telecommunications and
autos most concerned, the survey showed.
Foreign business lobbies have expressed concern over the
investigations, with worries ranging from the perceived unfair
targeting of foreign firms to the apparent use of strong-arm
tactics by regulators.
(Reporting by Sue-Lin Wong; Editing by Kazunori Takada and
Christopher Cushing)
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