Chinese authorities have instructed an American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in the southwestern city of Chengdu to cease operations, officials with the organization said yesterday.
The chamber notified members on Monday that, in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations, it had to stop operations and “no longer carry out any activities in the name of the American Chamber of Commerce in Southwest China.”
The statement, seen by Reuters, did not provide a specific reason for the chamber, which promotes trade and investment between the US and the region, being instructed to cease operations.
AmCham Chengdu chairman Benjamin Wang (王曉東) said by WeChat message that it was in discussions with local authorities about its registration and future direction.
The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs appeared to be enforcing a rule that countries maintain only one official chamber of commerce in the country, Wang said.
The ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Chengdu chamber is not affiliated with the American Chamber of Commerce in China, a business advocacy group based in Beijing with offices in several other cities.
The closure of the chamber comes just over one year after China closed the US consulate in Chengdu, in retaliation for China’s ouster from its consulate in Houston, Texas, a week earlier.
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