There is “hair on fire” concern that the proposed tariffs and restrictions on Chinese investment in the U.S. will lead to retaliation, and measurably hurt the economies of the U.S., China, and the rest of the world. That the U.S. is willing to risk these disruptions indicates how serious the U.S. Administration finds China’s forced technology transfer, cyber theft, and discriminatory industrial policies. The American Chamber of Commerce in China members’ recent survey revealed that the major asks for the U.S. Government support were to advocate more strongly for a level playing field and for reciprocal treatment to improve market access. We feel that focusing on reciprocal treatment while maintaining strong communications between the governments will be the best path forward to get to our goal of a level playing field based on fairness.
William Zarit, Chairman of American Chamber of Commerce in China