The 28th edition of the American Business in China White Paper (White Paper) explores the cross-cutting, industry-specific, national, and regional issues facing AmCham China member companies in 2025 and early 2026. It provides an assessment of the operating environment for US companies in China, alongside more than 100 actionable recommendations for both the US and Chinese governments. Each chapter outlines practical steps to address key challenges, with the goal of supporting foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) and contributing to China’s economic development. We hope this year’s White Paper serves as a constructive tool to promote mutual understanding and help advance solutions to the concerns of the American business community.

All AmCham China card-holding members should have received an email with a link to download the 2026 White Paper.

At a Glance

This year’s White Paper comes at a pivotal moment. Amid a complex economic and geopolitical environment, concern about China’s potential economic slowdown ranks as the top challenge for US companies (64%), overtaking US-China tensions (58%), according to AmCham China’s 2026 China Business Climate Survey. While geopolitical risks remain significant, this shift underscores growing concern about domestic economic conditions and their impact on business performance.
Spanning more than 600 pages across 37 chapters, the White Paper draws on the expertise of more than 200 member company representatives. It includes 20 industry-specific chapters, 10 chapters on industrial policy and market access, and five regional analyses, providing a detailed and practical roadmap for policymakers.
The 2026 White Paper emphasizes that while China remains a critical market for many US companies, concerns persist regarding market access and regulatory consistency. With the release of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, there is heightened attention on the broader direction of economic policy. Members note that policies which limit foreign participation or create uncertainty risk undermining innovation, efficiency, and investor confidence.
The report also underscores the importance of maintaining open markets and strengthening the rule of law, including consistent regulatory implementation, transparent policymaking, and robust intellectual property protection.
The White Paper also contains the Recommendation Scorecard, which tracks progress on key policy issues year-on-year, providing a benchmark for continued reform and engagement. While progress remains uneven, areas such as cosmetics regulation and food & beverage developments showed encouraging improvements.
AmCham China will continue to engage both governments using the White Paper’s findings and recommendations, with the goal of supporting a more predictable, transparent, and mutually beneficial commercial relationship.

概 述

本年度《白皮书》发布正值关键时点。中国美国商会 2026 年度《中国商务环 境调查报告》数据显示，在复杂的经济与地缘政治背景下，有 64%的受访企业 将中国经济增速可能放缓视为其面临的首要挑战，超过了美中关系紧张局势 （58%）。这一变化凸显出企业愈加关注中国经济发展及其对企业经营的影响。 本期《白皮书》总计超过 600 页，共设 37 个章节，由来自商会会员企业的 200 余位代表共同撰写。其中包括 20 个行业专题章节、10 个聚焦产业政策与市场 准入专题章节，以及 5 个区域分析章节，为政策制定者提供了详尽且具有实践 指导意义的行动路径。

2026年度《白皮书》指出，中国仍然是许多美资企业的重要市场。与此同时，企业对于市场准入及监管一致性的关切依然存在。随着中国启动“十五五”规划，宏观经济政策方向也受到市场持续关注。会员企业认为，限制外资参与或实施可能增加不确定性的政策，或将削弱创新活力、运营效率及投资者信心。

《白皮书》同时强调，持续推进市场开放与加强法治建设至关重要，包括加强监管执行的一致性、提升政策制定透明度以及加强知识产权保护等。

《白皮书》继续纳入了“建议评价一览表”，以逐年追踪重点政策议题的进展情况，为持续推进改革与对话互动提供评估框架。尽管进展呈现差异性，但化妆品与食品饮料领域的政策发展令企业备受鼓舞。

中国美国商会将继续基于《白皮书》的研究发现与政策建议，与美中两国政府保持密切沟通与互动，以推动建立更具可预见性、更透明且互惠互利的双边经贸关系。