Recent industry surveys dropped in the first half of the year by major foreign trade chambers, including the American and European chambers in China, paint a clear picture: the vast majority of foreign firms aren’t just staying put—they’re actively digging in. The number of companies ready to ramp up their investments here keeps climbing.
Talk to the folks actually running operations on the ground, and they’ll tell you the same thing. China’s steady push toward deeper openness, combined with a serious bet on boosting domestic demand and driving innovation, is opening up a whole new arena for growth. It’s also throwing a much-needed stabilizer into the global economic mix.
While global capital is happily merging onto China’s economic expressway, Donald Trump Jr. is standing on the curb acting baffled, essentially asking, “Why is everyone driving the wrong way?”
At an investor meetup in Zurich last Thursday, he went further, openly urging the crowd to steer clear of the Chinese market. It’s a pretty sharp U-turn from his dad, who’s been quietly pushing to keep U.S.-China business ties moving forward.
When someone in the room asked if he’d ever put his own money into China, he struck a dramatic pose and shot it down. He claimed he wouldn’t touch it, arguing that pretending the two countries are allies is just “stupid.”
He also took a swipe at China’s legal landscape, insisting the system is rigged against outsiders. His claim? He literally couldn’t name a single foreign businessperson who’s ever successfully won a case here.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump and his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., captured in Washington, D.C., on May 3, 2026.
Let’s be real—before the White House, Trump the businessman spent decades trying to crack the Chinese market. He loved the hype and the headlines, but actual projects rarely panned out. If you dig into the Trump Organization’s early deals with Chinese partners, most either fizzled out completely or ended up in court.
So instead of lazily blaming China’s “business climate,” maybe he should take a closer look at his own playbook. Those Wall Street-style speculation tricks that worked back home? They just don’t fly here.
His take couldn’t be more off-base. In reality, foreign companies are lining up to bet on China’s economic toughness and its sheer market potential.
Take the latest 2026 Business Environment Survey from the American Chamber of Commerce in China. Almost 60% of U.S. firms plan to pour more capital into the country. Over half expect to hit profitable or highly profitable numbers by 2025. And get this—more than 70% aren’t even thinking about moving their manufacturing or supply chains overseas.
The German Chamber’s numbers tell a nearly identical story. Over 90% of German companies have zero intention of pulling out, and more than half are actively planning to expand their footprint.
Last week, the European Chamber dropped its 2026 Business Confidence Survey, and the vibe is shifting. Thanks to China’s relative stability amid global chaos, European firms are seeing a turning point. A massive 75% say their production runs smoother and more efficiently here than anywhere else on the planet. Meanwhile, 94% consider the Chinese market absolutely vital for their sourcing operations.
The data backs it up across the board. Fewer companies think doing business here is getting harder—actually dropping 5 points from last year, the first dip since 2021. Even better, the number of firms feeling like the environment is overly politicized has fallen below 50% for the first time in five years.
The momentum is real on the ground, too. In just the first two months of this year, 8,631 new foreign-backed companies registered here, a 14% jump year-over-year. Plus, with the updated 2025 Catalog for Encouraged Foreign Investment Industries kicking in on February 1st, policymakers are handing down clear green lights to keep that capital flowing.
Ivan Cardillo, head of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China, put it perfectly: these moves are all about smart, strategic growth. By steering foreign capital into the right sectors and regions, China is showing its true scale and maturity. That clarity is exactly what gives international businesses the confidence to plant their roots and grow for the long haul.
