Survey reveals investor confidence

A survey by Nihon Keizai Shimbun of 99 major Japanese companies found strong confidence in the China market. The poll found that 24 per cent of respondents thought China had more appeal than Japan as both a production base and a consumer market, while 31 per cent just thought it was a superior production base. Seventy-one per cent noted a small improvement in the ease of doing business in China since it joined the World Trade Organisation and 88 per cent said they intended to expand their activities there within three years. Nearly half cited lax accounting, taxation and legal systems as the biggest risks in setting up a business in China.