Recent surveys by foreign business associations indicate continued positive sentiment among foreign firms toward the Chinese market. The US-China Business Council's 2026 China Business Environment Survey shows 92% of respondents were profitable in China in 2025. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China's Business Confidence Survey 2026 found that 75% of companies consider their production efficiency in China higher than in other regions. The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China's 2026 White Paper on the Chinese Economy and Japanese Companies states 85.6% of firms plan to 'expand business' or 'maintain the status quo'.
Data from the 4th China International Supply Chain Expo further highlight this trend. Foreign companies and institutions accounted for 36.5% of participants, with well-known names such as Apple and Honeywell continuing their participation. A total of 223 overseas groups visited specifically for exhibition and negotiation, up nearly 30% from the previous edition. PwC Global Chairman Mohamed Kande led a senior global delegation.
At a press conference on June 30, Wang Yifei, spokesperson for the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said the expo serves as a barometer for foreign investors to understand China's economic direction and that international supply chain cooperation between Chinese and foreign firms is increasingly close. He noted that in China's new phase of high-quality development under the 15th Five-Year Plan, the aim is to use platforms like the expo to support foreign firms in deepening supply chain collaboration with Chinese companies and jointly safeguarding global supply chain stability.
Chinese companies are also expanding overseas. The CCPIT's EU Business Environment Report 2025 shows 53% of surveyed Chinese enterprises evaluated the EU business environment positively and 48.8% plan to increase supply chain cooperation with EU firms. Key areas of focus include the digital economy, finance, and green economy, though concerns were raised over growing 'pan-securitization' tendencies, increased trade and investment barriers, and rising costs in the EU.
The State Council's Regulations on Outbound Investment took effect on July 1. Wang Yifei said the regulations respond to urgent needs of companies going global to balance development and security, explicitly provide for coordinating trade promotion service resources, and grant legal basis for trade and investment promotion organizations to offer outbound investment services.