Google's possible exit will not change China's investment environment

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Google's threat to exit China has led some people to hastily conclude that China's investment environment for foreign-funded enterprises is worsening.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) meets with foreign delegates attending the two-day  China Development Forum 2010, in Beijing, China, March 22, 2010 (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

However, they should not be prejudiced by an individual case but see the broader picture that China remains one of the best investment destinations in the world.

Just as China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said last week,Google's possible withdrawal is only an individual business act, which would not affect China's investment environment or change the reality that most of the foreign enterprises, American companies included, have been doing well and making profits in China.

There are 660,000 foreign-funded enterprises tapping a booming market in China and Google is only one of the 480 Fortune 500 firms reaping the fruits of China's near-double-digit economic growth.

Even if Google's threat materializes, what would change is not China but Google itself -- China would continue to adhere to its policy of reform and opening up, but Google would lose the business opportunities offered by China's 384 million Internet users and be remembered for backtracking on its promises.