(Beijing) -- Labor shortages in China's southeastern coastal areas continue to aggravate the woes of small- and medium-sized business owners, already facing a challenging business environment including decreased access to credit, rising costs of raw materials and the appreciation of the yuan.

The migration of manufacturing industries to inland provinces is draining the labor pool in affluent coastal areas, said Lan Hengmin, a media commentator, in an article published by the Economic Herald on July 27.