BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Foreign firms can freely express their views on China's economic policies and investment environment, proving that the nation's business climate is more transparent and open than many in the west believe, John D. Watkins, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said Friday.

Chinese officials have carefully listened to opinions from the Chamber and responded swiftly on some issues, Watkins told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Watkins said China's investment environment remains attractive to most American firms, citing a survey released by the Chamber in April.

Most American corporations maintain well-run operations in China and 82 percent of American companies have confidence in China's economic outlook, almost double that found in a 2009 survey, according to the report.

In the first seven months of the year, the amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) that flowed into China reached 58.35 billion U.S. dollars, up 20.65 percent from one year earlier, with July's figure up 29.2 percent to 6.924 billion U.S dollars, according to data from the MOC.