Study: Soft skills vital for SMEs to counter trade protectionism

Chinese mainland's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are being urged to hone their business "soft skills" to deal with uncertainties in the global business environment, given looming escalation risks of a trade war between China and the United States, professional accountants warned.

CPA Australia, the global accounting professional body, in October 2017 gauged 2,952 SMEs' (defined as employing fewer than 20 people) opinions regarding business prospects, technological adoption, access to finance and drivers for business growth. A sample of 606 Chinese mainland's small business operators was interviewed.

The accounting body's ninth annual survey on Asia-Pacific small business revealed Chinese mainland SMEs are generally proficient in technological utilization for business advancement.