Whether on major issues such as Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) and World Trade Organization (WTO) status for China, or specific concerns about everything from distribution regulations to financial services, the chamber has provided its members' perspectives to officials and made recommendations for improving the business environment.

This year has been especially productive, with Chinese officials increasingly willing to meet and seek input from the chamber.

There is no better example of this co-operation than nearly a dozen recent briefings between AmCham and the government. Most of these briefings are at the vice-minister or director-general level, and cover topics ranging from general US-China trade relations to the details of customs, tax, intellectual property rights (IPRs) and other regulations.

"In a number of these meetings, our members raised very specific and thorny problems," says AmCham-China President Charlie Martin. "We came prepared."

The backbone of the briefings is the White Paper, the chamber's most thorough policy statement and an increasingly influential publication among officials.

This year's edition draws on the collective experience of thousands of AmCham members via the Business Climate Survey and hundreds of forum and committee meetings.

Because it reflects the wider US business community, rather than the views of a few firms, the White Paper is particularly appealing and useful to the government.

"In the meetings, almost all ministerial-level officials said that they read through the White Paper very carefully each year and were willing to address the issues raised in it," says Gary Teng, chief representative at David Diebold & Associates (Hong Kong) Ltd.

Getting down to details

While the White Paper briefings cover a breadth of government branches, they are not simply an exercise of quantity over quality.

This year, in particular, has seen many meetings tackle the nitty-gritty of the business challenges faced by AmCham member companies.

Take the chamber's October 24 meeting with the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) as an example. Some 30 members joined the delegation and engaged in an intensive Q&A session with 10 AQSIQ officials for over an hour.

Members asked questions about how particular licensing and certification rules relate to international norms and about what members consider redundant testing at factories. But as important as getting the government's ear, it proved equally important who was listening.

"Nearly all relevant departments in AQSIQ sent specialists to the meeting and answered questions raised by AmCham delegates who directly oversee technical affairs in their companies," says Teng. "Any confusions were clarified, concerns addressed, implementation guidelines explained, and suggestions recorded."

As AmCham President Charlie Martin remarked, "Both sides could have easily gone on for another hour."

For members, and especially those handling government affairs for companies, it could hardly get any better. It's difficult enough for most firms to get government access, let alone in such a co-operative environment.

"The meeting helped some member companies to set up a direct line to specific officials in AQSIQ for further communications," said one delegate who attended the meeting.

Reinforcing messages

This doesn't mean that broader issues are being ignored. In meetings with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for example, US-China relations topped the agenda. Such macro issues, in fact, are raised at the beginning of many briefings, giving the chamber the chance to reinforce its major policy objectives, whether it's more market access for US retailers or curtailing the export of Chinese counterfeit goods.

But with China largely in compliance with its WTO obligations, there is clearly a swing toward getting down to the details of implementation, of clarifying how Chinese regulations work, and addressing possible non-tariff barriers to trade.

The chamber has long since passed the point of getting China engaged in the global business community; now, it is offering assistance on integration.

This, of course, holds benefits for China, as well. The government can use the briefings to open up regular channels of communication with the US business community, set up mechanisms for feedback, and let members know who exactly in the administration can handle their inquiries.