U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessen: Tech executives say it's easier to do business in China than in the EU.
According to U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessen at the 2026 Davos Forum, he indeed relayed the views of U.S. tech company executives that doing business in China is easier than in the EU. He mainly criticized the EU's bureaucracy and inefficiency.
This difference in perception largely stems from significant differences in the business environment between China and the EU.
This view is objectively accurate, stemming from the attractiveness of the Chinese market, its massive scale, and efficient execution capabilities.
A unified market with nearly 1.4 billion people, with huge consumption and investment scale. Local governments are proactive in attracting investment, and projects are usually implemented quickly. In emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, China has a complete ecosystem from rapid technological iteration to strong manufacturing capabilities.
Compared to China, the EU's strict and complex regulatory system hinders quick market entry and increases difficulty. Regulatory decisions sometimes exhibit "fragmentation" among EU member states, increasing uncertainty and coordination difficulties. Lengthy administrative procedures are often seen as affecting business efficiency.
Bessen's remarks are not an isolated business evaluation but occur within a specific geopolitical context, which can be viewed as a way for the United States to pressure Europe.
In recent years, the EU has continuously strengthened regulation and penalties against large technology companies, while the United States has warned that this may affect its security commitments to Europe. Both sides compete fiercely in areas such as digital taxes and the competition for research talents.
For a specific company, there is no standard answer to "where is it easier." It completely depends on your industry characteristics, business model, and ability to bear risks.
In short, whether it is easy or not depends on what the company values most. It may be more objective to view China as a vast market that is "efficient but with unique rules," and the EU as a mature market that is "well-regulated but with complicated procedures."
Original: toutiao.com/article/1855023540757840/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.