Foreign business looks to the future as China chooses new leaders

The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China begins on Thursday. It will usher in the country's new leadership lineup and will in all likelihood have an important influence on economic development into the next decade - including the market environment for international corporations operating in China. In the run-up to the congress, China Daily conducted a survey of international companies on the event and their expectations for the country. The survey contained five questions.

Q1: Given that China��s economic growth cooled to a three-year low of 7.4 percent year-on-year in the third quarter, do you think the country can maintain relatively fast expansion during the coming decade? And do you think China will continue to be an important growth engine, both for the global economy and for your company?

Q2: As wages and operational costs rise, China��s export growth is no longer as robust as before and domestic consumption is still not strong enough to generate as much growth. Have these developments prompted your company to either delay or cancel any investment plans in the country? If not, why not?