French research agency Grant Thornton released its survey on international businesses recently, saying that 84 percent of Chinese business owners are faced with greater pressures this year than last, while the average global proportion is only 56 percent.

The situation is similar in Taiwan and Hong Kong, where 82 percent and 67 percent of businesspeople respectively are under heavy pressure. 

The soaring prices of raw material and salary level, as well as tougher challenges from keeping their businesses competitive, are the three major sources of their pressures.

On average, business owners in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland work 54 hours every week, while Taiwan business owners work 53 hours. In fact, business owners in booming markets like China and India are willing to extend their working hours to pursue every opportunity.

The survey covered 7,200 business owners from 32 countries and regions, including 300 from the Chinese mainland, 250 from Hong Kong and 150 from Taiwan.

Business owners from more than 60 percent of the responding countries and regions admit that they are faced with heavier pressures this year than last.

According to the "Report on the Development of Private Businesses in China" by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, there are 150,000 new private enterprises set up in China every year, while about 100,000 go bankrupt at the same time. Nearly 85 percent of them won't last for 10 years, and the average life expectancy is only 2.9 years.

(chinanews.cn)