China smog deters top foreign talent

[BEIJING] China's smog is making it harder for foreign firms to convince top executives to work in the country, the American Chamber of Commerce in Beijing said yesterday, offering some of the strongest evidence yet on how pollution is hurting recruitment.

Some 48 per cent of the 365 foreign companies that replied to the chamber's annual survey, which covers businesses in China's northern cities, said concerns over air quality were turning senior executives away.

Pollution is "a difficulty in recruiting and retaining senior executive talent", said the report. China's slowing economy, however, remained the top risk for companies, it added.