Eight Obstacles Cloud China's Outlook For Foreign Businesses – And Its Own

What's next for entrepreneurs and businesses in China - domestic and foreign? At least eight obstacles cloud the future, says Cameron Johnson, a two-decade American expatriate businessman in Shanghai, a senior partner at consulting firm Tidal Wave Solutions, and adjunct faculty member at NYU Shanghai. While better than much of the world, that was below China's pre-Covid performance and casts a shadow over business prospects, Johnson said. "The struggling property sector and unmet domestic demand are further dampening entrepreneurial forces," as well as domestic consumer confidence and spending, Johnson said. "A general lack of transparency in laws and regulations leaves entrepreneurs guessing," Johnson said. Companies - foreign and local alike - are grappling with understanding the policy roadmap for the next 10-20 years, Johnson said. Chinese firms such as TikTok and CATL are facing pushback in the U.S.; anticipate European tariffs and restrictions, and constraints from Asian suppliers in key industries, Johnson advised. "Expats exiting the last several years have slowed some R&D and product development," Johnson said.