evidence: Meanwhile, Kissinger stated that "the US-China relationship is of vital importance to the peace and prosperity of both countries and the world" and that he is "willing to continue to make efforts to enhance mutual understanding between the people of the US and China". [...] The DOC readout said that the discussions centered on the "overall environment in both countries for trade and investment and areas for potential cooperation" and that the Secretary "raised concerns about the recent spate of PRC actions taken against U.S. companies operating in the PRC", in reference to the recent investigations into foreign consulting companies in China. [...] However, US-China relations remain an issue of major concern for US companies in China, with 87 percent of respondents stating that they were pessimistic about bilateral relations. This sentiment has remained prominent since the release of the March survey, in which respondents "cited ‘rising tensions in US-China relations’ as their top challenge".