Foreign companies, particularly some of the leading U.S. and European multinationals, have publicly questioned recently whether new Chinese policies and regulations are making China a more difficult place for foreign firms to do business, The Washington Post reports.

Among the critics are the head of Microsoft -- who complained about China's policies on intellectual property -- and the head of General Electric, who voiced worries about the country's business climate. Earlier this year, the Internet giant Google threatened to shut down its Chinese search engine, saying that a server had been hacked and that it could no longer abide by Chinese censorship rules.

Over the weekend, the leaders of two large German companies with major investments in China challenged Premier Wen Jiabao about the country's deteriorating business climate during a meeting in Beijing attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

What is new, analysts say, is that some top executives doing business here are voicing their discontent openly, a significant shift from the traditional pattern of keeping a low public profile to avoid angering Chinese officials -- and risking retaliation.

Read the entire story at washingtonpost.com