Foreign Firms Struggle in China's Shifting Economic Landscape

Foreign firms in China growing slower than state-owned enterprises, marking a reversal from pre-pandemic years
Small and medium enterprises especially struggling amid China's uneven recovery and tightening policy environment
Factors like national security emphasis, domestic preference in procurement, and market access issues hurting foreign business sentiment
Beijing rolling out reassurances and initiatives to retain and attract overseas investors
But mixed messages and lack of economic plan fostering perception that politics dominates, eroding business confidence