Ross’ comments came during a media roundtable after the release of the Beijing-based chamber’s survey on business sentiment, which collected responses from 109 American companies operating in China over the period of April 18-20 of this year.
The survey results showed respondents were more optimistic about the business outlook in China compared to the previous survey conducted in late 2022, before the government lifted COVID-19 controls. However, more companies are concerned that worsening U.S.-China relations will affect operations. About 87 percent of respondents stated they were at least slightly pessimistic about the two countries’ bilateral relationship, up 14 percentage points from the previous poll.
Michael Hart, president of AmCham China, said the survey showed that American companies feel the overall environment for investment in China is becoming less predictable than before. Micron has said it would cooperate with the probe and that its shipments and operations in China remain unaffected. The review comes amid a wave of export restrictions from Washington in 2022 that targeted China’s chip sector.