According to a survey conducted by the industry association VDMA, German mechanical engineering companies in China are skeptical about business development in the country. 44 percent of the 218 companies surveyed rated the current situation as poor, the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) announced on Thursday. Another 44 percent described the development as satisfactory and 12 percent as good. However, the survey shows that the order situation has improved compared to a survey last spring: 62 percent of respondents currently report a normal order backlog. Previously, the figure was 39 percent.