Foreign companies in China face growing scrutiny, pressure

Visitors pass near the emblems of the Chinese Communist Party at an exhibition in Shanghai, on April 20, 2023. [AP Photo]

Foreign companies are under growing pressure in China from anti-corruption, national security and other investigations as President Xi Jinping's government tightens control over business, clashing with efforts to lure back investors after the pandemic.

This week, Bain & Co. said police questioned staff in its Shanghai office. The consulting company gave no details of what investigators were looking for. Last month, the corporate due diligence firm Mintz Group said its Beijing office was raided by police who detained five employees. Also last month, an employee of a Japanese drug maker was detained on spying charges and the government announced a security review of memory chip maker Micron Inc.