In the middle of a trade dispute between the United States and China, companies say that there is an area of ​​change

However, Stratford pointed out that almost half of the respondents in the technology and resource sectors as well as the industrial sector said that they would invest in China if they felt that the protection of intellectual property was strengthened. .

In the ongoing trade dispute, the United States has accused China of stealing intellectual property and forcing US companies to share technology when they do business on the continent.

Tensions between the two largest countries in the world intensified last year, with each party imposing tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods. After several weeks of talks in Washington and Beijing, Trump said earlier this week that he would delay a tariff increase scheduled for March 1 due to "substantial progress" in trade negotiations.

The findings of the AmCham investigation were generally gloomy, consistent with the complaints about unequal opportunities for foreign companies in the Chinese-controlled economy and the slowdown in the economy. growth in this country.

Overall profitability declined slightly and business optimism declined, with a notable increase in concerns about rising costs, the report said. The survey also showed that nearly one in five companies, or about 20%, did not expect their market to grow this year. For more than a third of respondents, profit margins before interest and taxes were lower in China than in other parts of the world.