Good time for investors to go for green
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It's a good timing to invest in high-tech and green industries in China as the market is getting more mature, said experts and investors.
Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biotechnology and Medicine, a newly established institute based in the Tianjin Binhai New Area, has attracted more than 90 projects with an investment of about 600 million yuan since it opened last June.
"More than 60 percent are foreign projects and more will come. I think it's a misconception that the investment climate in China is worsening," said Zhou Zeqi, vice-president of the academy. Zhou said now is the right time for foreign investors to enter China's high-tech industries.
China unveiled new rules for foreign investment in April, encouraging it in high-tech industries, services sectors, energy-saving and environmental protection.
At the same time, the rules said polluting and energy-hungry industries are not wanted any longer.
Foreign companies operating in China are facing a changing environment and need to adapt quickly to a more mature Chinese market instead of complaining, suggested trade experts.
China lacked capital and had abundant and cheap labor force when it started opening up 30 years ago, said Li Zhongmin, an investment research fellow with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Now the nation has sufficient capital but the labor market is getting tighter, so it's natural the nation tends to welcome foreign investment with technical and managerial advantages, Li said.
Attacks on China's business climate have been mounting in the past few months. The latest move was a report published by the European Chamber of Commerce in China on Sept 2.
The report claimed foreign companies are facing "discriminatory treatment" in China and called for greater market access and a level playing field for EU companies in China.
However, it is difficult to identify any new government policies that explicitly target foreign firms, said the Financial Times.
Premier Wen Jiabao and Commerce Minister Chen Deming have reiterated that China will stick to reform and opening and provide foreign companies with treatment equal to that of domestic companies.
China never changed its policy of utilizing foreign investment though it should be admitted that China has loopholes in its policies and investment environment, said Zhang Yansheng, a researcher at the National Development and Reform Commission.
The direction of reform is creating a fair and competitive environment for all companies, not merely for foreign companies, but also for domestic companies, Zhang said.
Despite attacks on the nation's business and investment climate, foreign companies still attach great importance to growth opportunities in China, one of the world's most dynamic economies, said foreign investors.
The Chinese market remains "attractive" to foreign business, said Jacques de Boissson, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.
Most European companies operating in China regard the country as an important or more important market in their global strategy since the financial crisis, as operating profit margins declined in many countries, he said.
The majority of European companies operating in China and serving the local market are very clear about the growth opportunities and willing to invest further, said Boissson.
China's growing domestic consumption and rising living standards will provide unparalleled growth opportunities for foreign companies.
European companies welcome the strategy to switch to a more domestic consumption led economy, and they can only benefit from the increasing capacity of the Chinese consumer, he said.
China's overall investment environment continues to improve in most areas thanks to the government's consistent efforts to reform and open up the Chinese market, said Daniel Cheng, managing director for China at the Canada China Business Council.
However, foreign companies doing business in China want to ensure China's openness and reform policies will continue to secure their returns from doing business in China.
American companies have benefited from China's 30 years of opening and reform, said John Watkins, chairman of the Beijing-based American Chamber of Commerce.
Foreign companies have also contributed to China's development through the investment of financial capital, human capital and technology, and foreign companies want to continue to participate and get returns on their investment, Watkins said.
Some foreign companies in China have expressed concerns over policies like indigenous innovation, as well as rising costs and regulatory unpredictability.
Even though attacks on China's investment environment heating up, China remains an unparalleled destination for foreign direct investment, which has kept consecutive growth for 12 months since last August.
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