European Chamber of Commerce warns on market barriers

The European Chamber of Commerce in China warned on Thursday that the country’s market access barriers are “politically unsustainable” as Chinese investment continues to flood into the EU. “There is a small, rocky pathway to China [for foreign investors] and an autobahn from China to Europe,” said Jörg Wuttke, head of the chamber, according to the Financial Times. In an annual position paper on Chinese operating conditions for its member companies, the chamber noted that Chinese investment into Europe surged 44% in 2015 to Eruo 20bn. That total has already been exceeded this year with 119 completed or pending Chinese investments, including ChemChina’s $44bn offer for Syngenta of Switzerland. China has not significantly reduced restrictions on foreign investors since it joined the World Trade Organization 15 years ago.