The rise of China poses a significant challenge to the existing, Western-dominated world economic order. The effectiveness of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is contingent on a smooth transition of the world’s economic center toward the Asia-Pacific Region. For Western investors, the vast market opportunities can be tempting. However, the lack of experience and knowledge of international management in China – a country with radically different business rules and cultural background – poses a substantial risk. This book provides comprehensive insights into the fast-changing business world in China. Based on the authors’ theoretical knowledge and invaluable years of practical experience, it discusses the various options for doing business in China, with current examples that demonstrate how European SMEs can successfully position themselves between multinational companies and local competitors. It also highlights new opportunities arising from China’s international involvement (New Silk Road, RCEP) and addresses risk management for European SMEs operating in China. Moreover, it sheds light on how to form relationships of mutual trust between Chinese policymakers and their advisors/cooperation partners from abroad. Readers with an interest in doing business in China will find this book particularly valuable.

China has a long history of confounding multinational companies. Many firms' strategies for China have failed and companies have been forced to revise plans to take into account the idosyncrasies of the Chinese market. This book examines the strategies that have succeeded and those that have failed, with chapters on the political and economic context, how to assess the market and manage corporate expectations and structures, how to negotiate legal and tax issues, manufacturing and distribution, making acquisitions, dealing with corruption and financial crime, attracting and retaining talent, the importance of establishing and maintaining relationships (guanxi), corporate governance and social responsibility, and the China of the future. With many businesses experiencing sluggish growth or even decline in their traditional markets, China seems to offer the chance of heady growth. For those who get their approach right it does, but there are many obstacles to be negotiated on the road to success. This book explores the difficulties of doing business in China and how to take best advantage of the opportunities that exist to achieve the level of success that every business aims for in China but not that many achieve. "The opportunities for those doing business in or with China may be growing but so are the challenges. This highly readable book, with its dozens of anecdotes of success and failure in the China market, highlights the key issues facing investors and how to deal with them."—Tim Clissold, CEO, Peony Capital and author of Mr. China "Sensible, informed and up-to-date information and advice on operating in China comes along surprisingly rarely. This book is a welcome antidote to the extremes of bullish hype and bearish despair that is typical of commentators on this huge market."—Stephen Green, Head of Research Greater China, Standard Chartered

Essay from the year 2005 in the subject Business economics - General, grade: 65%, Edinburgh Napier University, course: International Business, 19 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: The globalisation of markets and the globalisation of production towards a more integrated and interdependent world economy is one of the fundamental changes in modern world history. Former isolated countries are opening up and as a result becoming fast growing economies. The two most impressive of all developing countries (emerging markets) for different reasons are China and India. China and India can also be described as newly industrialised economies (NIEs) which are politically stable, have free market systems and are approaching western standards. This report shows the opportunities and risks for multinational companies (MNCs) businesses in China and India, illustrated by several examples of MNCs experiences in those countries. In the end, the analysis leads to a recommendation by the author which of these economies is more attractive to do business in.

The rapid emergence of China as a major industrial power poses a complex challenge for global resource markets. Backed by the Chinese government, Chinese companies have been acquiring equity stakes in natural resource companies, extending loans to mining and petroleum investors, and writing long-term procurement contracts for oil and minerals. These activities have aroused concern that China might be "locking up" natural resource supplies, gaining "preferential access" to available output, and extending "control" over the world's extractive industries. On the demand side, Chinese appetite for vast amounts of energy and minerals puts tremendous strain on the international supply system. On the supply side, Chinese efforts to procure raw materials can either exacerbate or help solve the problems of high demand. Evidence from the 16 largest Chinese natural resource procurement arrangements shows that Chinese efforts—like Japanese deployments of capital and purchase agreements in the late 1970s through the 1980s—fall predominantly into categories that help expand, diversify, and make more competitive the global supplier system. Investigation of smaller projects indicates the 16 largest do not suffer from selection bias. However, Chinese attempts to exercise control over mining of rare earth elements may constitute a significant exception. The investigative focus of this analysis is deliberately narrow and precise, assessing the impact of Chinese resource procurement on the structure of the global supply base. The broader policy discussion in the concluding chapter raises other separate important issues, including the impact of Chinese resource procurement on rogue states, on authoritarian leadership, on civil wars, on corrupt payments and the deterioration of governance standards, and on environmental damage. Such effects may make patterns of Chinese resource procurement objectionable, on grounds quite apart from the debate about possible "control" of access on the part of China and Chinese companies.