China is battening down the hatches on the access foreigners are allowed to corporate information, both through internal policy directives and direct intimidation of front-line investigators. The measures include intervention by central security agencies, hired thugs, and police at the local level, and bureaucratic rules varying by locale meant to stifle access to documents, according to interviews with due diligence providers.
Whether the various measures are part of a concerted campaign, or simply a series of local initiatives meant to protect bureaucratic or corporate turf, the result is the same.