A recent survey shows 93 percent of foreign businesses in
Shanghai are satisfied with China's performance following its entry
into the World Trade Organization three years ago.
Of the 1,000 foreign-invested companies surveyed, 86 percent
said they are optimistic about China's investment and trade
environment in the coming two years, and more than 95 percent said
they would either expand their China operations or maintain their
present size.
The survey, conducted by Shanghai WTO Affairs Consulting Center
in collaboration with Shanghai Society of International Trade, was
based on a questionnaire on post-WTO China.
Eleven percent of the respondents gave China very high scores
--over 90 points with grades from zero to 100 -- for its overall
performance over the past three years. Twenty-seven percent gave
grades between 80 and 89 and 42 percent graded the country
between70 and 79.
Less than four percent of the companies surveyed gave China
failing grades below 60, with comments that the country has a lot
to improve to meet its commitments to the world trade
conglomerate.
For 49 percent of the companies surveyed, the most essential
issue for China to live up to its WTO commitment is to improve
transparency. Other issues concerning their interests include
enhancing protection of intellectual property rights and easier
market access for foreign companies, according to the survey.
The companies surveyed, largely manufacturing firms or service
providers, are mostly based in Japan, the United States, member
states of the European Union and China's Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The majority of the companies entered China before its WTO entry
and 40 percent of them have been in Shanghai for more than 10
years.
China joined the WTO in 2001 after 15 years' negotiations.
(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2004)