Beijing is tightening the screws on foreign companies seeking stakes in listed Chinese companies. Though the measures would affect all countries, it wouldn't be surprising if they are used to mainly limit American investment in Chinese firms. Earlier this month, when Chinese trade officials huddled in Berlin with their German counterparts, German chemicals giant BASF earned Chinese approval for a $10 billion plant in southern China. “There’s a dial in the halls of the leadership compound, it’s labeled ‘retaliation,’ and it’s always on,” one veteran Chinese trade watcher tells me, requesting anonymity to speak frankly about the situation. ”— Chinese investment dips.

Source: Washington Post July 31, 2018 12:11 UTC