Pretty much every expat GM I’ve talked with this year in China agrees they’ve felt a sea change in Chinese government policy toward Foreign Direct Investment(FDI): “They’ll allow us to stay here until they’ve got everything they want, then it’s bye bye!” one Danish GM told me. Everything they want now is technology to copy, manufacturing processes to ape.

Now, Chinese policy is reflecting a sophomoric sensibility it’s got it all figured out and doesn’t need to remain unctuous to foreigners any longer. American companies, of course, are not impressed with the business climate change. “I don’t think the Chinese government can count on the American business community to be able to push back and block action [on Capitol Hill],” Myron Brilliant told the Financial Times recently. Brilliant issenior vice-president for international affairs. He used to shield Beijing from the Capitol Hill gang that wanted to extract its pound of flesh from Chinese protectionist measures, especially the currency revalutation issue.

Beijing has seen it’s pushed US business and government interests as far as it can since the global economic downturn, and is trying to make nice to policy makers who are pushing for tariffs on Chinese goods to signal American displeasure with China’s currency controls and other export subsidies. The powers that be just might find that adolescent muscle flexing is only winning them the world’s annoyance.

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