Chinese dragon losing its shine for foreign firms

The latest figures from firms reporting during the current results season in Europe, the United States and Japan paint a picture of overseas firms facing a worsening of operating conditions in China. Volkswagen, which has invested heavily in China and has just displaced Toyota as the world's leading car manufacturer, saw sales in the country -- which it describes as its "second home market" -- fall 3.9 percent in the first half, its first drop in a decade. The appeal of nearly 1.4