On April 28, 2008 AmCham Shanghai, AmCham-China (Beijing) and AmCham South China released our signature policy document, the 2008 White Paper: American Business in China. This year’s edition--AmCham’s tenth--continues our annual tradition of presenting the views and insights of our collective membership on trade and commercial issues affecting the U.S. business community in China, as well as their views on the PRC’s overall business environment and our recommendations for enhancements.

The 2008 White Paper reflects the broadest-ever collaborative effort of our collective membership of over 7,000 companies. This year’s edition is also our largest, with over 40 chapters and includes: a business climate section, which provides a unified snapshot of the state of the American business community in China and our key recommendations to both the Chinese and U.S. Governments for improving the business climate; the industry issues section; and a provincial investment section that includes seven city/regional overviews.

The White Paper serves as platform for continued dialogue and cooperation between the U.S. businesses and both Chinese and U.S. government authorities. The Paper is also a useful resource for anyone interested in better understanding the China business environment, the challenges facing American companies and what it takes to be successful in the competitive China marketplace.

AmCham Shanghai members will receive a copy of the 2008 White Paper along with the 2008-2009 Membership Directory in May.

Click HERE to get another copy of White Paper 2008.

Also, read the AmCham Shanghai Media Release.

Table of Contents

Chairmen's Message

Part One: The Business Climate for American Firms in China
U.S.-China Commercial Relationship
Visa Policy
U.S. Trade Promotion in China
Export Controls
Human Resources
Transparency
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Protection
Science and Technology
Standards
Product Safety and Quality
Competition Law
Energy and Environment
Tax
Customs
Small-and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Corporate Social Responsibility
Survey Data

Part Two: Industry Issues
Agricultural and Food
Civil Aviation
Construction, Engineering and Design
Cosmetics
Dietary Supplements
Direct Sales
Energy and Environment
Financial Services
Forestry and Forestry Products
Healthcare, Medical Equipments and Devices
Information and Communications Technology
Legal Services
Media and Entertainment
Pharmaceuticals
Real Estate
Retail
Transportation and Logistics

Part Three: Provincial/City Issues
Provincial Investment Environment
Beijing
Chengdu
Hong Kong
Northeast
Shanghai
South China
Tianjin