Policy Priorities 2022

Our policy priorities reflect the opinions of the Chamber’s 3,300 members (half of whom are Chinese nationals) from 900-member companies headquartered not just in the US, but also Europe, Australia and other parts of Asia. They are drawn from multiple discussions among AmCham China members and supported by analysis of the annual Business Climate Survey and the American Business in China White Paper.

Click the download button below for the bilingual version of the 2022 Policy Priorities!

Introduction 

US and China economic relations remain deeply intertwined. Two-way bilateral trade in goods totaled US $560 billion in 2020, despite the US-China trade war and the shock from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The foreign business community continued to face challenges as the US-China relationship recalibrated under the new Biden administration and COVID-19 related restrictions continued throughout 2021. The bilateral tension continues to impact foreign companies on the ground as conflicting values and lack of clear engagement strategies spark challenges in planning a long-term China strategy. American businesses in China benefit both the United States and Chinese economically and plays an important role in people-to-people exchange amidst ongoing travel restrictions.

In China, 2021 also saw an increase in the promulgation of industry regulations in China, quickly transforming the landscape of business in China in sectors such as Education, Real Estate, Investment, Cybersecurity, and more. As companies seek to find their footing in an uncertain policy environment, clarity and transparency in policy-making is key to assuage the concerns of the business community and ensure that their valuable role in society is protected.

We continue to encourage the Chinese government to make good on its promises for further economic reform and continued opening to the outside world. There are significant areas of contention in the US-China relationship, most of which offer no easy prospect for resolution. Despite the current friction in US-China relations, however, the success of multilateral efforts to address issues of the “global commons” like climate change will be dependent on US-China cooperation.

As a focus of our advocacy efforts, these priorities will guide our conversations with the Chinese government, US government, media, academics, and other stakeholders throughout the year. We acknowledge that the challenges are significant and may not be resolved within the short-term. We hope, however, that these priorities can help form a framework for longer-term engagement and dialogue.

Our three Policy Priorities for 2022 are as follows: 

Priority One: Encourage action-based engagement between the US and China to create substantive and mutually beneficial initiatives and solutions on an issue-by-issue basis rather than unproductive values-based positioning.

Both governments should prioritize communication at the working level and with strong business community engagement on both sides, while emphasizing real strategies for implementing their plans rather than engaging for the sake of engagement.

Priority Two: Resolve regulatory confusion and uneven policy implementation by encouraging timely and clear announcements of changes to enhance compliance capabilities.

Both governments shall ensure that new regulations are communicated effectively, allowing a grace period for implementation and providing a clear enforcement guideline for companies to follow.

Priority Three: Enrich cooperation and exchange in areas of global and bilateral importance.

The US and China governments must engage on issues of global and bilateral importance to ensure that progress on issues such as climate change is not delayed due to misaligned interests in other areas.