Amazon.com
China has the world's most rapidly changing large economy, and according to Ted Fishman, it is forcing the world to change along with it. "No country has ever before made a better run at climbing every step of economic development all at once," he writes, in China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World. China is currently the largest maker of toys, clothing, and consumer electronics, and is swiftly moving up the ladder in car production, computer manufacturing, biotechnology, aerospace, telecommunications, and other sectors thanks to low-cost, high-tech factories. China is also where the world is investing. In 2004, for instance, the city of Shanghai alone attracted over $12 billion in direct foreign investment, roughly the same amount as all of Indonesia and Mexico received. In tracing China's ascendancy over the past 30 years (with annual growth of an astonishing 9.5 percent), Fishman presents a flood of facts, figures, forecasts, and anecdotes and examines the implications of this unprecedented growth for China, the U.S., and the rest of the world.
Calling China's huge population "arguably the greatest natural resource on the planet," Fishman details how hundreds of millions of peasants have migrated from rural to urban areas to find manufacturing jobs, providing an unlimited, low-wage workforce to power China's economy. In the process, this shift has changed both Chinese culture and the global business climate in significant ways. Simply put, American companies can't compete with wages as low as 25 cents an hour and lack of regulation and oversight, so are forced to move their operations to China or completely change the focus of their business. And it's not just a problem for the U.S.--even Mexico is outsourcing to China. Though it remains to be seen whether this will truly be the "Chinese Century" as Fishman asserts, China, Inc. is a brisk and informative look at why so many American corporations, and American jobs, are heading to China. --Shawn Carkonen
Book Description
China today is visible everywhere -- in the news, in the economic pressures battering the globe, in our workplaces, and in every trip to the store. Provocative, timely, and essential -- and updated with new statistics and information -- this dramatic account of China's growing dominance as an industrial superpower by journalist Ted C. Fishman explains how the profound shift in the world economic order has occurred -- and why it already affects us all.
How has an enormous country once hobbled by poverty and Communist ideology come to be the supercharged center of global capitalism? What does it mean that China now grows three times faster than the United States? Why do nearly all of the world's biggest companies have large operations in China? What does the corporate march into China mean for workers left behind in America, Europe, and the rest of the world?
Meanwhile, what makes China's emerging corporations so dangerously competitive? What will happen when China manufactures nearly everything -- computers, cars, jumbo jets, and pharmaceuticals -- that the United States and Europe can, at perhaps half the cost? How do these developments reach around the world and straight into all of our lives?
These are ground-shaking questions, and China, Inc. provides answers.
Veteran journalist Ted C. Fishman shows how China will force all of us to make big changes in how we think about ourselves as consumers, workers, citizens, and even as parents. The result is a richly engaging work of penetrating, up-to-the-minute reportage and brilliant analysis that will forever change how readers think about America's future.
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"China today is visible everywhere -- in the news, in the economic pressures battering america, in the workplace, and in every trip to the store. provocative, timely, and essential, this dramatic account of china's growing dominance as an industrial super-power by journalist Ted C. Fishman explains how the profound shift in the global economic order has occurred -- and why it already affects us all. How has an enormous country once hobbled by poverty and Communist ideology come to be the supercharged center of global capitalism? What does it mean that China now grows three times faster than the United States? That China uses 40 percent of the world's concrete and 25 percent of its steel? What is the global impact of 300 million rural Chinese walking off their farms and heading to the cities in the greatest migration in human history? Why do nearly all of the world's biggest companies now have large-scale operations in China? What does the corporate march into China mean for workers left behind in America, Europe, and the rest of the world? Meanwhile, what makes China's emerging corporations so dangerously competitive? What could happen when China will be able to manufacture nearly everything -- computers, cars, jumbo jets, and pharmaceuticals -- that the United States and Europe can, at perhaps half the cost? How do these developments reach around the world and straight into the lives of all Americans? These are ground-shaking questions, and China, Inc. provides answers.Veteran journalist and former commodities trader Ted C. Fishman paints a vivid picture of the megatrends radiating out of China. Fishman's account begins with the burgeoning output of China's vast low-cost factories and the swelling appetite of its 1.3 billion consumers, both of which are being driven by historically unprecedented infusions of foreign capital and technological know-how. Traveling through China's frenetic landscape of growth, Fishman visits the factories, markets, streets, stores, towns, and cities where the story of Chinese capitalism is being lived by one-fifth of all humanity. Fishman also draws on interviews with Chinese, American, and European workers, managers, and executives to show how China will force all of us to make big changes in how we think about ourselves as consumers, workers, citizens, and even as parents. The result is a richly engaging work of penetrating, up-to-the-minute reportage and brilliant analysis that will forever change how readers think about America's future. "
Customer Reviews:
Lacks critical analysis, nothing more than a collection of (incomplete) stories .......2007-09-04
Half of the book is like a PR campaign for Shanghai, saying how fascinating the city is without really critically examining its glories. It seems like the author has not ventured far away from Shanghai (even Zhejiang Province is bordering Shanghai) and to really delve into the rest of China. It is just like reading a book on U.S. economy while all it talks about is New York. Projecting New York for the rest of the U.S. is laughable, so is thinking Shanghai epitomizes the entire China.
Shanghai's success, at least in the past, critically relied on the extremely favorable national policies steered by Jiang Ze-ming, the former mayor of Shanghai who became the president after 1989 Tiananmen. Such biased national policies are highly questionable, and its impact on Shanghai long-term economic sustainability is also open for debate.
It's also weird for a book on China's economic transition to exclude meaningful discussion of the economic reforms in the Pearl River Delta area where all of the initial economic reforms started, and which is still one of the most important economic regions in China. Also, China's attempts to balance economic development between the coastal region and the inland region are largely ignored in the book (except some very light discussions here and there).
The second half of the book is not very organized and it is not clear what message the author was trying to get across. Overall, the book is nothing more than a collection of stories you can easily find in Economist. A better book for a quick intro and analysis of China's rise is The World is Flat, side by side is an analysis of India as a bonus...
Could have been at least 100 pages shorter.......2007-07-15
A lot of insights from the book but at the same time a lot of non-insights.
The book covers the movement of Chinese people from the farms to the cities and the attitude towards rapid modernization including piracy. However, you cannot FEEL it from first person point of view. You feel very detached reading the book.
It could have been more straight to the point and a lot of pages bored me.
The Tom Wolfe of China.......2007-05-24
This a kaleidoscopic view of the most dynamic country today on the planet. Sit down, strap up, and read the Electric Kool Aid Acid Test of the 21st Century. For a harder analytical edge, read my own volume The Coming China Wars: Where They Will Be Fought and How They Can Be Won
Please blame everything on China, is this a new trend to cover up American "disastrous" foreign policy? .......2007-05-11
So with all due respect:
1) If China is so bad, don't do business there, no one is forcing you
2) All American CEO who deals with China are unpatriotic Americans
3) All American CEO who outsource to China and India are immoral capitalist
4) All American CEO who deal with China should pay a fine or go to Jail. -But they are not! And as matter of facts, they are getting big bonuses.
5) Don't blame the Chinese, they are providing a service (cheap) but American consumers and executives are the ones knocking on their doors.
6) You can't have both ways; you can't try to use cheap labor in 3rd world countries and then turn around and point fingers at the people you are doing business with.
7) Stop bringing up the WWII theory on some of these comments, just because the USA fought and won WWI -which is GREAT! It does not mean the USA is correct FOREVER...common sense.
Excellent reference background............2007-04-11
My team at work does a lot of business with China and after one of the engineers read the book, we ordered about 15 copies for the entire department to read, we felt it was so worthwhile!
Book Description
It is well known that with a population of 1.3 billion people, China's market is moving quickly toward surpassing those of North America and Europe combined. Companies from the United States and around the globe are flocking there to buy, sell, manufacture, and create new products. But as former Wall Street Journal China bureau chief turned successful corporate executive James McGregor explains, business in China is conducted with a lot of subterfuge -- nothing is as it seems and nothing about doing business in China is easy.
Destined to become the bible for business people in China, One Billion Customers shows how to navigate the often treacherous waters of Chinese deal-making. Brilliantly written by an author who has lived in China for nearly two decades, the book reveals indispensable, street-smart strategies, tactics, and lessons for succeeding in the world's fastest growing consumer market.
Foreign companies rightly fear that Chinese partners, customers, or suppliers will steal their technology or trade secrets or simply pick their pockets. Testy relations between China's Communist leaders and the United States and other democracies can trap foreign companies in a political crossfire. McGregor has seen or experienced it all, and now he shares his insights into how China really works.
One Billion Customers maximizes the expansive knowledge of a respected journalist, well-known businessman, and ultimate China insider, offering compelling narratives of personalities, business deals, and lessons learned -- from Morgan Stanley's creation of a joint-venture Chinese investment bank to the pleasure dome of a smuggler whose $6 billion operation demonstrates how corruption greases the wheels of Chinese commerce. With nearly 100 strategies for conducting business in China, this unprecedented account combines practical lessons with the story of China's remarkable rise to power.
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"It is well known that with a population of 1.3 billion people, China's market is moving quickly toward surpassing those of North America and Europe combined. Companies from the United States and around the globe are flocking there to buy, sell, manufacture, and create new products. But as former Wall Street Journal China bureau chief turned successful corporate executive James McGregor explains, business in China is conducted with a lot of subterfuge -- nothing is as it seems and nothing about doing business in China is easy. Destined to become the bible for business people in China, One Billion Customers shows how to navigate the often treacherous waters of Chinese deal-making. Brilliantly written by an author who has lived in China for nearly two decades, the book reveals indispensable, street-smart strategies, tactics, and lessons for succeeding in the world's fastest growing consumer market. Foreign companies rightly fear that Chinese partners, customers, or suppliers will steal their technology or trade secrets or simply pick their pockets. Testy relations between China's Communist leaders and the United States and other democracies can trap foreign companies in a political crossfire. McGregor has seen or experienced it all, and now he shares his insights into how China really works. One Billion Customers maximizes the expansive knowledge of a respected journalist, well-known businessman, and ultimate China insider, offering compelling narratives of personalities, business deals, and lessons learned -- from Morgan Stanley's creation of a joint-venture Chinese investment bank to the pleasure dome of a smuggler whose $6 billion operation demonstrates how corruption greases the wheels of Chinese commerce. With nearly 100 strategies for conducting business in China, this unprecedented account combines practical lessons with the story of China's remarkable rise to power. "
Customer Reviews:
Plane reading enroute to China...should be on all flights to PRC.......2007-07-15
James MacGegor has lived the ongoing business evolution in China personally. Drinking jia pi (draft beer)outside of the JianGuo Hotel on his fortieth birthday,he could see evidence of the volitivity of that evolution. To the west, on the face of the SCITE Building were the pock marked bullets holes ,reminders of June 1989. The JianGuo was serving fois gras and competing with Maxim's for customers and to the east ;the beginnings of the third and fourth ring road extension were being buildt .
He has seen and lived this explosive ,volitile growth personally, and has captured the important ,basic "do's and don't when in china" in this book .
In the 21st century, all businesses from Paris to Dundee to Peoria to Osaka need to deal with the reality of the China manufaturing platform. A company will either be a partner or competitor with China ---little in between; and the knowledge in this book is a good starting point in dealing with this worldwide paradigm shift called China
A Business with China Must Read.......2007-06-07
Mr McGregor has a unique insight into the psyche of Chinese Entrepreneurs, Managers, Workers, and most importantly the "Powers that be" within the Government of China. His case studies of how things can go right as well as how things can go wrong provide the reader with a great road map as what TO do and what NOT to do while conducting business in China.
Excellent reference book for doing business with the soon to be biggest economy of the world.
Doing Business in China.......2007-05-08
This is a very good book to give you a general overview of business practices in China. I had to buy it since it was required for one of my MBA classes and I did enjoy reading it.
Insights into how modern China functions.......2007-04-06
This book is interesting and easily readable. A series of significant business ventures are described in enough detail to understand, but with the main focus on the forces that drive the events. The book helps the reader to see business ventures in China from the Chinese point of view. It seems to be written for senior executives that may be contemplating the establishment of business ventures in China. It will be interesting and useful also to readers who invest in Chinese companies or mutual funds, as well as to anyone who would like to understand more about how modern China functions.
The author, who speaks Mandarin, and who was previously the China Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, is well connected at senior levels in Chinese business, political and media circles. He is able to gain insights and learn details about how and why things happen or do not happen in China. For example, Chinese government officials avoid individual responsibility for decisions, preferring the political safety of group decisions, so it is vital for western business people to establish relationships with more than one senior official. Each chapter ends with a short summary of lessons to be learned from the experiences of others doing business in China.
Excellent Primer for Westerner's Negotiating in China.......2007-03-24
Great insight into the Chinese mindset and value matrix, with a disected case study of the Morgan Stanley-CICC first investment bank that reads like a flowchart in avoiding trouble.
Also some interesting tidbits on China-US politics, who the author thinks had a good grasp on Int'l policy and who sold the US out.
Book Description
Since China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2002, China is now officially fully open for business and may soon be the biggest economy in the world. No one in, or embarking upon, a managerial career can afford to ignore a market that comprises one-fifth of the world's population. Doing Business in China is essential reading for the manager or firm setting up a business for the first time in this vital and complex market. Aimed specifically at Western and non-Chinese businesses and managers, this book offers a general framework for understanding Chinese business culture along with a guide for acquiring further knowledge on China.
This text is a practical guide to business practices, market conditions, negotiations, organizations, networks and the business environment in China. Alongside summaries of theoretical research, Doing Business in China provides a perceptual toolkit which will enable the businessperson or student to do business in China and apply that knowledge back in the West.
Building on the strengths of the first edition, this new second edition is fully updated to include new case studies as well as discussion of China's entry into the WTO . It is an invaluable resource for students of international business and management, and practitioners alike.
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This book is a general introduction to managing business ent
Customer Reviews:
How to do the business in China ?.......2002-10-26
Doing business in China!
Relation, Relation And Relation....
If you are using your American or European style to work and even partner with China's firms, you must be failure in the end.
Relationship with the Government and officials are the major concerns when you stepping into the door of China.
Think Global and hire Local Chinese people is the only way to have the final success with your partner in China.
China means: " Always in the historical culture "
So don't think about China with your American Standard !
Try to learn with your local Chinese people (doer)
Anyway, China is opened now and also needed to face the ways for WTO ! Reckon, China can learn from their European and American business partners from today.
This book is essential to appreciating the Chinese psyche..........2001-11-29
Particularly impressive is the author's approach at presenting the Chinese thought process in such a manner that Westerners can not only understand the Chinese psyche, but respect and learn from it as well. This book was perhaps one of the most enlightening books I have read in a while. There is a a concerted effort to show business protocol and potential avenues of entry, but more importantly this book addresses the fundamental social concepts that need to be FULLY understood before attempting to grow in China.
authorative and insightful.......2000-09-04
Of the vast number of books about China, this one is a very useful account of how successfully doing business in China. Western Managers at the forefront in China should read this book which brings together a lifetime of research and practice on China.
Book Description
The 50th title in the HBR paperback series highlights what every company must know to successfully enter and compete in the world’s fastest-growing economy
The potential opportunity in China is huge: it is home to a quarter of the world’s population, domestic consumer spending in China is growing by up to 10% a year, and relaxed regulatory restraints have opened China up to unprecedented levels of foreign investment.
This book will help multinational corporations and the managers who work in them understand the implications of China’s current stage of development and develop strategies for effectively competing in this environment.
Customer Reviews:
Havard Business Review.......2007-10-17
The collection seems dated; while several of the articles are helpful, the remaining bulk are consequently more misleading.
An excelent reading in my business trips.......2007-07-08
I have been in china for business trips over 7 times and I always use this reading during the air trip(many hours from Puerto Rico to China (22 hours).
And always find something new to apply to my visits for negotiations from this book.
Humberto Torres
Puerto Rico
Must do reading.......2007-02-18
This is a great complitation of HBR articles on China. A must do reading for anyone seriously interested in doing business in China
Typical HBR compilation..........2006-12-27
The articles are, in sum, quite dated and general. Nothing leading edge here as the content is published through the HBS grist mill that greatly enhances the publishing record of their faculty but adds little of current value.
Nevertheless, for the beginner in China, there is some knowledge here, but, again, keep in mind that the business environment in China moves fast and the information here was several years outdated when published.
Good but isolated perspectives.......2006-11-05
Like other HBR articles, the articles in this collection on Doing Business in China are well written and presented, with each examining a particular issue in a fairly coherent way.
However, as they are written by different authors, there is an inevitable lack of cohesion among the articles. For example, in article "Entering China: An Unconventional Approach" (pages 105-121), author Vanhonacker argues that since "Chinese companies...typically have a more immediate interest in profits than foreign investors do," "joint ventures do not offer foreign companies what they need to succeed in China." Yet, in article "Trouble in Paradise" (pages 141-161), authors Xin and Pucik present a case study, where the dilemma faced by the American general manager is such that while his US-based boss wants him to improve the joint venture's profitability from a 4% ROI to a 20% ROI, the Chinese deputy general manager wants to grow the joint venture by acquiring another local Chinese enterprise!
In my experience, the scenarios presented in the two articles are pretty academic because the reality is much more messy than that and hardly rests on such a simple black/white trade-off. Indeed, we now know that the China challenge is multifaceted. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an integrated framework that distills what it takes to succeed in China (how to think as well as what to do) by running a central, balanced theme across all these perspectives.
It is fair to say that although eight useful articles are put together in one volume, this book lacks the above mentioned central theme.
To find such a central theme, you will have to read Dr Wei Wang's The China Executive: Marrying Western and Chinese Strengths to Generate Profitability from Your Investment in China. In it, you will find a road map to business success in 21st-century China.
Book Description
China Streetsmart is an invaluable book for investors who desire to learn the secrets of award-winning businesses operating in China today. This book clears up the confusion and conflicting stories on what it takes to be successful in China by not postulating theory but rather giving investors practical and proven advice.
Concerned about corruption, protecting your intellectual property and whether or how to find the right local partner? China Streetsmart covers all these topics and more with real life examples to help China investors, both new and old, improve their effectiveness and ultimately create profitable businesses.
Customer Reviews:
Streetsmart.......2007-09-27
This is a good overview and collection of information for those considering China as a place to do business. Much of the information is "common sense," but this is a commodity that seems to be in short supply among certain businessfolks, as the rivers of red ink surging over past years well attest. Readers would be well advised to take the book seriously. The ideas and counsel seem prosaic and mundane, but they are very much on target. Companies wishing to take the plunge into doing business in China in the short term would be well advised to buy and read a copy of this book and to donate the rest of their proposed investment to a charity. Read and heed before you jump and dump a pile of money. The advice is good. Bears following closely. If you're othewise inclined, don't waste the money on the book. Hire consultant instead. Pray the consultant's read the book and taken it seriously.
Strategically, the best book in the market!.......2007-08-23
While I have read a number of books describing strategies with respect to working with Chinese, China Streetsmart is the only book used as a manual by our Company's board of directors. For example, Mr. Chan's section, dealing with the four-question method of qualifying and quantifying information relative to China, has been formally adopted as our protocol in filtering any and all intelligence received from the field.
By Far the most practical and insightful book on doing business in China .......2007-03-19
Having read several books on starting and doing business in China, I can honestly say that this one is the best. None combine both the theoretical / strategic with the emperical, hands-on practical insight and experience provided by the author. While tailored for the individual or organization tasked with starting a new China venture, I found that the examples and prescriptions could be applied to nearly any functional role or domain. Hands down the best China business book.
The most valuable China Guide for managers.......2007-03-16
As an sales and marketing director with experience in setting up and managing FMCG businesses in some different countries, this book is my essential guide for entering the chinese market:
1)due to the fact, that it combines the strategical dimension of setting up new business together with a list of Do's and Don'ts when entering this very challenging market
2)it reminds us, that all business has an economical as well as a people dimension. This human / cultural side of the business is very well explained based on personal experience of a lot of chinese and foreign managers as well as on the broad and hands on experience of the autor himself.
3) This book shows you a lot of different cases among different industries, which helps you to find out, which case could be most similar to your own business and which experience I could learn and take advantage of.
My conclusion: if you are setting up a new business, looking for opportunities in the chinese market place and like to avoid the most common mistakes other people have already made thousand of times, this book is the back-to-basics manifesto for you!!
A book of useful information but lacking a central theme.......2006-11-05
To be sure, this book contains a lot of useful information about the China business environment. And the author usefully discusses how to do business in China through analysis and examples.
But the fatal problem of this book is that it lacks a central theme. Nowhere can this be more clearly seen than in the following concluding statement from the Introduction:
"The biggest secret of doing business in China is - there is no secret; it is just plain common sense."
If this were true, why bother about reading this book or even writing it?
If you are looking for the best guide to doing business in China, I recommend Dr Wei Wang's The China Executive: Marrying Western and Chinese Strengths to Generate Profitability from Your Investment in China.
I can tell you that The China Executive is guiding our company to turn around some of the poorly-performed investments in China.
Book Description
Mr. China tells the rollicking story of a young man who goes to China with the misguided notion that he will help bring the Chinese into the modern world, only to be schooled by the most resourceful and creative operators he would ever meet. Part memoir, part parable, Mr. China is one man's coming-of-age story where he learns to respect and admire the nation he sought to conquer.
Customer Reviews:
Never Mind the Business, Here's Chinese Culture.......2007-10-23
Although he certainly never intended it as such (MR.CHINA is subtitled "A Memoir" and has a target audience of gung ho, wanna-get-rich-investing-in-China business types) this is probably the most accurate and the most devastating portrayal of authentic Chinese culture since Bo Yang's THE UGLY CHINAMAN. For those looking at becoming better aquainted with Chinese business culure, or more precisely: Chinese business ethics, here's a free starter lesson:
There aren't any.
Foreigners shouldn't take this personally. The Chinese have been cheating each other as a matter of course for centuries. What's more, they have been so poor and so oppressed for so long that they will go to nearly any extent in order to make their bundle and head for the hills. In Taipei, Taiwan, in which I live and in which there is a free press, there are an immoderate number of newspaper articles that mirror the anecdotes conveyed by Tim Clissord in what is a very enthralling book. Scheming, swindling, duplicity, and general dishonesty are deeply, deeply ingrained aspects of the national psyche in China. And so, when some hopelessly niave Westerner waltzes into town with a suitcase full of cash and a bunch lofty ideas concerning efficiency and profit sharing, then, well, if the stars didn't just align.
"Nonsense," cries the next Mr. China (a sentiment echoed in some of these reviews) "I'm a trained lawyer." Fine, but you'll have to bribe the anti-corruption officials just to open up dialogue. "If I got suspicious of my Chinese partner, I'd have funds frozen." Great, if the bank manager (who might very well be your partner's cousin) hasn't emptied the vaults and flown to Hawaii. "My factory in Guangzhou is humming along just fine." For now, but are you sure the land title hasn't been transferred, or the managers haven't used your money to build an identical plant across town? "My business partner is a man of integrity." Read the book.
There's a hitch to getting rich in China. Each and every one of the people you will have to deal with has the exact same idea.
Troy Parfitt, author of ...
Notes from the Other China - Adventures in Asia
Mr. China explains a lot.......2007-08-31
Having just returned from a 3-week trip to China, reading Mr. China helped explain a lot about what I had seen. Now that I read all the problems with Chinese produced products, Mr. China explains even more about the mindset of both Chinese and westerners. We Americans seem to think everyone should think and function as we do. Mr. China illustrates how wrong that is.
A Compelling Read .......2007-01-30
I found this book a terrific glimpse of one man's experience investing in China. Tim Clissold spent several years traversing mainland China trying to get in on the ground floor with the entrepenuers driving China's economic boom. Along the way he encounters a fascinating cast of characters who are markedly different from those we are familiar with in the U.S. A real page-turner for anyone wanting a glimpse into what doing business in China is like.
Chronicles of the Vietnam War of American business.......2007-01-04
The book is a moving firsthand account of a foreign investor set out to invest in mainland China during the 1990s, when China first started opening up its markets. Apparently the author Tim Clissold worked for Arthur Andersen Hong Kong, alongside an ex-Wall Street M&A professional identified only as Pat in the book, to invest in China roughly $400 million of private equity funds in the form of joint ventures.
To fast-forward to the end of the memoir, 10 years after the author's team made investments in China, no one does joint ventures anymore. With the wrecks of failed joint ventures littered across China, Pat describes China as "the Vietnam War of American business." The author claims that, "all but the most innocent of newcomers had concluded that joint ventures were just too hard to be worth it."
Speaking of hardship, the book in its essence is really a telling of the hardships the author encountered in fighting to salvage three particular joint ventures. In those three "war stories" the Chinese partners invariably cheat by siphoning out money to build factories for direct competition to the joint ventures. The tactics the partners employ are intrinsically Chinese, and ironically through these battles Clissold gains deep insight into Chinese culture.
What is amazing about the author is the fact that he always manages to transcend the fights no matter how bitter they were fought. During the fights he holds his worthy opponents in reverence, as ancient Chinese generals must have done; after the battles he makes friends with them whenever possible.
In the end Clissold conjectures that the Chinese will always remain Chinese regardless the pressure to conform to international conventions. In his own words: "I had been forced to dismantle entirely my assumptions about China and relearn all the basics, but many investors still appeared supremely confident that China would eventually view the world their way, that it would eventually 'see reason' and begin to conform to the familiar business school model. But as China continues to press ahead with opening up to the world at a speed that can be astounding, my hunch is that it will always retain an intense sense of its own place in world history. It remains more complex, more aware of its unique 'Chineseness' and in tune with its own past, and mush less conformist than can be imagined by visitors like Charlene Barshevsky, the US trade representative who described the World Telecoms Agreement as 'a triumph for the American way.' We'll see."
The memoir is touted as a business book. Personally I think there is more to take from it when viewed as a cultural voyage to a country during treacherous times.
Captivating business tales from the 1990s.......2006-12-14
A colleague of mine at work recommended this book to me, right after I had finished another book on China, James Kynge's "China Shakes the World", which I really liked.
"Mr. China" (286 pages) brings the perspective of a young Brit who clearly has a passion for China (and Manadarin), goes to study there in the late 80s (with some funny stories about life in the Chinese university dorms), and then returns a few years later to work for a US investment fund looking for joint venture opportunities. Ultimatey, about $400 million is invested in various manufacturing companies throughout China. A lot of things go wrong, although some good successes are scored too. Throughout this process, the author gives great insight on what it's like to be there, taking on problems "in the trenches", and how to better appreciate and understand China and its people.
The book feels a little dated in a way not only because the events decribed take place up through the late 1990s, but perhaps even more so because, as the author readily admits in the last chapter, the joint venture business model is no longer viewed as the best one (many companies these days go about it on their own, without a Chinese partner). That aside, this is a very worthwhile book that certainly achieved its intended goal for me, as the autor notes in the concluding paragraph: "If by writing this book I can make the Chinese people seem more human, less mysterious or threatening, just flawed and beautiful like us, then the troubles of the past ten years will all have been worthwhile". Highly recommended!
Book Description
The book highlights the key laws and regulations of interest and importance to foreign investors, corporate lawyers, and private practitioners involved in China on behalf of their clients. Valuable appendices contain contact information for U.S. and Chinese government resources, bar associations, international organizations, and other related organizations on Chinese legal and business efforts.
Book Description
Did you know?
Americans have bought $185 billion worth of Chinese goods
China's economy is growing at an astounding rate of 9 percent a year
The trade gap between the U.S. and China has been growing by more than 25 percent per year.
Whether you work for a company doing business in China, or are an entrepreneur looking to export your goods and services An American's Guide to Doing Business in China teaches you the practicalities and the pitfalls of dealing with this complex market. While there are undeniable opportunities in the Chinese market there is also a great deal of hype-and very real political and cultural differences that make doing business in China extremely challenging.
Written by an industry expert with more than two decades of experience, An American's Guide to Doing Business in China is an authoritative and accessible guide on all aspects of doing business in China. An American's Guide to Doing Business in China gives you the information most relevant to doing business in China on a day-to-day basis including:
Finding manufacturing partners
Negotiating contracts and agreements
Choosing a location and hiring employees
This guide also teaches you how to navigate Chinese culture and customs, market and advertise to Chinese consumers, and find the hottest opportunities. An American's Guide to Doing Business in China is what you need to succeed in the world's biggest market.
Customer Reviews:
Too much Hearsay.......2007-06-12
Chance favors the prepared mind, that holds true also for a visit to China, whether it be for business or pleasure.
Reading Mr. Saxon's book beats trying to ride the dragon without a safety net. However, the book seems to be more for entertainment purposes than any real "how-to" business guidance.
Apart from the excessive value judgments, some of the numbers seem to be rather out of proportion. Budgeting USD 500.000 as annual expense for a Representative Office is simply ridiculous. I personally am spending less than USD 40.000 for a very successful Rep Office in Beijing - great office location, commission based sales staff. Like Saxon, I am an M.B.A., but with a background in Sinology and 10 years of China experience.
Most of the advice on manufacturing is simply based on due diligence - which should be applied everywhere, not only in China.
Again, it's a good "Starbucks Read", but don't make it your "Business in China Bible".
Very Informative........2007-05-25
This is a very informative book. Realy a must read for anybody contemplating doing business in China.
A necessary read for anyone planning on doing business in China.......2007-03-28
I have done business in China and have logged quite a few trips there. I bought "An American's Guide to Doing Business in China" at an airport book store because I forgot to take reading material, so my expectations were not high.
Every chapter is a different theme, so each can be read independent of the chapter before or after it and lends itself to reading in any order you want. I started with the chapter on culture. Then I read the one on customs. Just those two chapters alone made the purchase worthwhile. Each topic is straight to the point, and clearly and simply explained. It put many events that I had experienced into sharper focus for me.
Then I went into some other short topics that proved to be amazingly useful. Read the section on how to avoid getting sick there.
One of the most relevant topics for me was the method of negotiating and related topics. The recommendations are very different than the methods I was taught, but they seem to work far better than standard methods.
There were also topics I had learned already and some that were not relevant to me. Several chapters I started and did not finish. However, this is one of the most informative books I have bought in a long time.
Americans' Guide to Doing Business in China.......2007-03-23
"I had been to China only once and was impressed enough with the potential there that I bought three books that seem to be the hottest on the market right now. I read the first one and it was interesting. I now know something about where the China of today came from - some history.
"An American's Guide" was the second book I read. Because of the way it was laid out, it was easy to pick the chapters that most interested me and read those first. I found the book easy to understand and straight to the point. I liked the style and the way it was presented. I went from one chapter to another. I ended up reading the whole thing. I got a lot out of it, it was enjoyable, and I really think I got the knowledge I was looking for out of it. I want to compliment the author for keeping the reader in mind.
I still have the third book I bought unopened, if anyone is interested."
"Starbucks Read" Only........2007-02-13
How can you guys rate this book "5 stars"???!!!
This is a good book for reading on your coffee breaks. I don't believe when the author wrote the book, he consulted with any of his Chinese business partners or friends. There are lots of things that are not true or out dated in the book. Don't get me wrong, this is still a good read for people who want to do business in China and don't know where to start.
However, instead of a "Business Guide", it should be renamed as "Introduction to Chinese Culture." From page 1 - 80 (out of a total 223 pages) it talks about Chinese Culture & Customs which we all can find it over the Internet or tons of other tour/daytrip books or from business partners or even the "Travel Channel!" From page 81 - 223, it DOES talk about things that you should watch out when you do business in China. Much to my disappointment, those things are only briefly explained with NO detail information, NO depth. For example: Chapter 8 (out of 15) of the book - Import/Export and Shipping Issues. This is something that all American company concerns/worries/pays attention about. A total of less than 8 pages with 1 table of Chinese Customs' contact information and that's it. You get the idea.
Since the author claimed that he has been doing business in China for "more than 20 years," a Stanford & Cornell graduate, then maybe he can tell us things that he encountered, problems that he had, solutions that he came up with, cases that he helped his clients. You think?! NOPE, none of that.
Buy this book from Amazon, pay $11 max. Used would even be better. I am being nice to give 3 stars.
Book Description
This book about China's integration into the world economy proposes a radically different perspective. Most economists view China's large foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows as the result of China's economic success. This study views the same phenomenon as a function of the imperfections in the Chinese economic system. It uses economic theory to explain FDI to a greater extent than previous studies on the same topic. It also presents comparative FDI data of additional countries, making it more comprehensive than previous studies which focused only on China.
Download Description
This book about China's integration into the world economy proposes a radically different perspective. Most economists view China's large foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows as the result of China's economic success. This study views the same phenomenon as a function of the imperfections in the Chinese economic system. It uses economic theory to explain FDI to a greater extent than previous studies on the same topic. It also presents comparative FDI data of additional countries, making it more comprehensive than previous studies which focused only on China.
Customer Reviews:
It's not just another view ..........2004-02-06
I find Prof Huang's "Selling China" much more than just an academic achievement which it is -- with its disciplined arguments supported by a wealth of well-researched facts.
After 18 years of working on the Greater China scene -- most of it foreign investment related, for me, the greatest value of the book is its main theme -- that the large inflow of FDI over the years reflects weaknesses rather than strengths of the Chinese system. It is not just another point of view in the already overcrowded gallery of China commentary. For me, the well-argued and well-researched "unconventional" view answers some of the key China investment related questions at a very practical level, and should have important implications for government policy making and corporate decision making alike.
the year's best book on china.......2004-02-06
I have seen a number of rave reviews for this book in various economic journals and now I have read the book myself. This is a must read for those who wishes to gain a deep understanding of China's fast-evolving economic and business landscape. I also recommend it to readers who are interested in an unconventional and novel take on foreign direct investment
Average customer rating:
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China and Southeast Asia's Ethnic Chinese: State and Diaspora in Contemporary Asia
Paul J. Bolt
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
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ASIN: 027596647X |
Book Description
Bolt uses the relationship between China and Southeast Asia's ethnic Chinese as a case study, and he focuses on the potential role of a diaspora in the economic and political development of its "homeland" as well as the role of the state in dealing with transnational economic actors. He examines China's post-1978 policy of attracting ethnic Chinese investment in light of historical relations between China and its diaspora community, demonstrating that China has, through various measures, consistently aimed at tapping the resources of Asia's ethnic Chinese. He then analyzes the contributions that ethnic Chinese have made to China's development, showing that such contributions have been tremendously important both in terms of the accumulation of capital and the transfer of business skills. Bolt probes how ethnic Chinese intervention in China's economy has affected the politics of the Chinese state. He concludes by looking at the international implications of Chinese development being spurred largely by a Chinese diaspora community, and he demonstrates how China's efforts to attract ethnic Chinese investments have complicated China's relations with Southeast Asia and led to discussions of a "Greater China." An important analysis for scholars, researchers, and policy makers involved with contemporary Southeast Asian and Chinese political, military, and economic issues.
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