01_049297 ffirs.qxp 6/25/07 8:38 PM Page i
Doing Business in China FOR DUMmIES‰
by Robert Collins, MBA, and Carson Block, Esq 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page viii 01_049297 ffirs.qxp 6/25/07 8:38 PM Page i
Doing Business in China FOR DUMmIES‰
by Robert Collins, MBA, and Carson Block, Esq 01_049297 ffirs.qxp 6/25/07 8:38 PM Page ii
Doing Business in China For Dummies® Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permit- ted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, 317-572-3447, fax 317-572-4355, or online at http:// www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
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For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Control Number: 2007926402 ISBN: 978-0-470-04929-7 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 01_049297 ffirs.qxp 6/25/07 8:38 PM Page iii
About the Authors Robert Collins, MBA, is a senior executive with a major Fortune 500 financial services company. Rob is also a former senior consultant with a leading inter- national business consulting firm. He has more than 20 years of commercial and business development experience in international markets. Rob is an active member of the Mayor of Chicago’s Shanghai Sister Cities’ Business Committee.
Rob gained a strong understanding of Chinese business and management while living and working in Beijing and Hong Kong, China, for more than 12 years. He managed one of the earliest representative offices in China. While working there, Rob was an officer with the American Chamber of Commerce in China.
Rob obtained a joint MBA degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Rob and his wife, Sarah, have three children and reside in suburban Chicago. The family is active in supporting Chinese-related educational initiatives. The Collins family has hosted numerous Chinese exchange students in Hong Kong and the U.S.
You can e-mail Rob at [email protected].
Carson Block, Esq, is the founder and Managing Director of YBS Investment Consulting, which is based in Singapore. In this role, Carson advises high net- worth individuals and families on their investments. He also advises compa- nies and investment firms on China-related investments. Prior to founding YBS, Carson practiced law in Shanghai with Jones Day, a U.S.–based law firm. In this role, he advised foreign clients on China foreign direct investment and mergers and acquisitions. Before joining Jones Day, Carson was an equity analyst and partner in W.A.B. Capital, a Los Angeles–based investment boutique.
Carson obtained his Juris Doctor (High Honors) from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. He earned his BS in business (finance) from the University of Southern California.
Carson speaks Mandarin Chinese. You can e-mail Carson at carson@ybs investment.com. 01_049297 ffirs.qxp 6/25/07 8:38 PM Page iv
Dedication Robert Collins: I dedicate this book to my lovely wife, Sarah. Over many, many years, she has provided me with unwavering support that has enabled me to produce, among other things, the most contemporary work on doing business in China. Sarah, you are the greatest gift that life has given me.
As young newlyweds, we moved to a far-off place called Beijing, China, in 1983. We were truly pioneers. Together, we witnessed the beginning of China’s powerful transformation into the modern world.
This book is for my children, too. Thanks to your tremendous commitment to the Mandarin Chinese language, you’re well positioned to participate in what China has to offer. My delightful daughter is a treasure in more ways than I can express. G.R., you’re an incredibly talented young man with all the mak- ings of great success. And Z-man, born in modern China, you just simply rock!
And last but not least, I dedicate this book to my parents, Mike and Evelyn, who consistently encouraged me to pursue my passion.
Carson Block: I dedicate Doing Business in China For Dummies to my father, Bill. When I was a teenager and college student, he gave me the opportunities to travel to Asia and to study Chinese (including in Beijing). When I gradu- ated from college, he provided the backing that allowed me to go to Shanghai and try my hand at business there. Without his support for my China endeav- ors, neither this book nor my China career would have been possible.
Authors’ Acknowledgments So many wonderful people contributed to Doing Business in China For Dummies. They’re outstanding professionals in their fields, and they’ve made this a significantly better book.
We’d like to particularly acknowledge a small group of people who spent sig- nificant time assisting us with this book. Our warmest gratitude and thanks go to Jay Boyle, Expat CFO; Beth Bunnell, Honeywell; Elizabeth Harrington, E. Harrington Global; and Xiangyun (Gilbert) Zeng, Houlihan, Lokey.
We would also like to thank the following people for their valuable contribu- tions: David Atnip, Chad Blackwell, Catherine Chen-Oas, Cheryl Chong, Matthew Estes, Lefan Gong, Christopher Gray, Kevin Gromley, Max Gu, Ashley Howlett, Nicole Kwan, Ted Lee, Jim Leu, Stephen Markscheid, Michael 01_049297 ffirs.qxp 6/25/07 8:38 PM Page v
McNabb, Jeff Moore, Daniel Oas, Jennifer Qi, Sean Regan, Andrew Rice, Andrew Ruff, Lee Satveit, Walter Schmid, Oded Shenkar, Paul Stepanek, Anita Tang, Benson Tsai, Samantha Tsai, Cheng Wang, Jack Wang, Peter Wang, Rick Wang, Dr. Yong Wang, Zheng Xie, Kent Yeh, Jia (Holly) You, Liming Yuan, and Winston Zhao.
Many thanks to Alissa Schwipps, Senior Project Editor at Wiley Publishing, for keeping us on the straight and narrow, and Danielle Voirol, Copy Editor. And thanks to our literary agent, Carol Susan Roth, for her support and guidance.
Lastly, we would like to thank Richard Pringle for introducing the co-authors. 01_049297 ffirs.qxp 6/25/07 8:38 PM Page vi
Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Composition Services Development Project Coordinator: Heather Kolter Senior Project Editor: Alissa Schwipps Layout and Graphics: Claudia Bell, Acquisitions Editor: Michael Lewis Stephanie D. Jumper, Laura Pence, Copy Editor: Danielle Voirol Alicia B. South Technical Editor: Dennis B. Kelley Special Art: Liz Kurtzman Senior Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich Anniversary Logo Design: Richard Pacifico Editorial Assistants: Erin Calligan Mooney, Proofreaders: Aptara, Todd Lothery Joe Niesen, Leeann Harney Indexer: Aptara Cover Photos: © Catherine Mar/ Special Help www.judoeffect.com Stephen R. Clark, Christina Guthrie, Sarah Cartoons: Rich Tennant Westfall (www.the5thwave.com)
Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel Publishing for Technology Dummies Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User Composition Services Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page vii
Contents at a Glance
Introduction ...... 1 Part I: Building Your Foundation ...... 7 Chapter 1: So You Want to Do Business in China...... 9 Chapter 2: Brushing Up on China Business Basics ...... 23 Chapter 3: Getting Acquainted with the Powers That Be: China’s History and Leadership...... 41 Chapter 4: Planning for Success in China...... 55 Part II: Starting Up in China ...... 71 Chapter 5: Traveling to and around China...... 73 Chapter 6: Getting Business Going through Successful Negotiation...... 97 Chapter 7: Setting Up Shop ...... 113 Chapter 8: Understanding Government Relations with Your Business...... 139 Chapter 9: Building a Local Team in China ...... 155 Chapter 10: Getting Your Mind on Money...... 175 Part III: Conducting Daily Business ...... 197 Chapter 11: Understanding How China Works (and Doesn’t Work) ...... 199 Chapter 12: Sourcing from China ...... 219 Chapter 13: Manufacturing in China ...... 233 Chapter 14: Selling in China ...... 251 Part IV: Building Successful Business Relationships....275 Chapter 15: Fostering Fruitful Friendships: The Art of Guan Xi...... 277 Chapter 16: Saying and Doing the Right Things: Chinese Business Etiquette...... 289 Chapter 17: Managing Risks in China...... 311 Part V: The Part of Tens ...... 335 Chapter 18: Ten Clauses You Want in Your Contracts...... 337 Chapter 19: Ten Fun Ways to Spend Your Downtime in China ...... 343 Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Stay on the Path to Profitability...... 349 Index ...... 355 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page viii 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page ix
Table of Contents
Introduction...... 1 About This Book...... 1 Conventions Used in This Book ...... 2 What You’re Not to Read...... 3 Foolish Assumptions ...... 3 How This Book Is Organized...... 4 Part I: Building Your Foundation...... 4 Part II: Starting Up in China...... 4 Part III: Conducting Daily Business ...... 4 Part IV: Building Successful Business Relationships ...... 5 Part V: The Part of Tens...... 5 Icons Used in This Book...... 5 Where to Go from Here...... 6
Part I: Building Your Foundation ...... 7
Chapter 1: So You Want to Do Business in China ...... 9 Understanding China’s Appeal ...... 10 Cutting costs to meet global demands ...... 10 Accessing a fast-growing local market...... 11 Considering Ways to Get In on the Action ...... 12 Selling into China...... 12 Manufacturing and sourcing ...... 13 Deciding Whether China Is a Good Fit for Your Business...... 14 Considering your employees ...... 14 Having international experience ...... 15 Getting company leaders on board...... 15 Having patient capital...... 15 Dealing with the government and laws ...... 16 Appreciating cultural differences...... 16 Tracing the Path to Success ...... 17 Getting the right knowledge of China under your belt...... 17 Starting your engine...... 18 Getting down to business the Chinese way ...... 18 Organizing your team for China ...... 19 Remaining flexible while staying the course ...... 19 Respecting the country for what it is ...... 19 Staying on the lighter side...... 20 Taking the First Steps: What You Can Do Today ...... 20 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page x
x Doing Business in China For Dummies
Chapter 2: Brushing Up on China Business Basics ...... 23 Considering Why and How You Want to Do Business in China...... 23 Manufacturing in the World’s Workshop...... 23 Harnessing people power to export services...... 24 Reaching untapped domestic markets ...... 25 The Experts’ Choices: Some Long-Term Growth Industries in China...... 26 Services ...... 27 Healthcare ...... 27 Environment and energy ...... 28 Agribusiness...... 28 Understanding China’s Business Environment ...... 29 The economy: Getting the goods ...... 29 Politics: Grasping the state of affairs...... 32 Culture: Taking in the social scene ...... 34 Laws: Surveying the government say-so ...... 35 Buckle Your Seatbelt: Preparing for Common Challenges...... 37 Gaining trust ...... 37 Wading through the bureaucracy...... 37 Responding to rapid changes ...... 38 Surviving cutthroat competition...... 38 Bridging the language gap...... 39 Chapter 3: Getting Acquainted with the Powers That Be: China’s History and Leadership ...... 41 Understanding the Big, Historical Picture ...... 42 Introducing the Middle Kingdom: The rule of dynasties...... 42 Ushering in modern China and the rise of the Communist Party...... 43 Industrializing with Mao: The first five-year plans...... 44 Opening the door to foreign investment ...... 45 Party On: Understanding Who Controls the Country ...... 46 The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)...... 46 The state...... 47 The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ...... 48 Figuring Out the Chinese Business Scene...... 49 Getting state-owned businesses in shape ...... 49 Supporting private businesses ...... 50 Encouraging foreign investors...... 51 Benefiting from the five-year plan ...... 52 China and the World Trade Organization ...... 53 Agreeing to play by the WTO rules ...... 53 Changing how China does business...... 54 Chapter 4: Planning for Success in China ...... 55 Setting the Stage...... 55 Being in the right state of mind ...... 55 Budgeting enough money...... 56 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page xi
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Garnering strong support from headquarters...... 56 Designating the China manager — the earlier, the better...... 57 Staying flexible...... 57 Deciding What You Want (and Need) ...... 58 Where to locate...... 58 Staffing and worker requirements...... 59 Building up: Whether to walk or run ...... 59 How to sell in China ...... 60 How to maintain competitive advantages...... 60 How to finance the venture...... 60 Doing Your Homework...... 61 Continuing research as you develop your plan...... 61 Networking ...... 62 Reading up...... 63 Reaching out to organizations...... 63 Hiring Consultants, Lawyers, and Accountants ...... 64 China (and Western) experience...... 65 Teamwork...... 65 Information flows ...... 65 Specific experience ...... 66 Being Aware of Common Planning Mistakes...... 67 Overestimating revenue ...... 67 Underestimating costs...... 67 Rushing the process...... 68 Not accounting for the X-factor...... 68 Mistaking Chinese language for China...... 68 Losing sight of what you know ...... 69 Putting Some Eggs in Another Basket ...... 70
Part II: Starting Up in China...... 71
Chapter 5: Traveling to and around China ...... 73 Getting the Necessary Documents and Vaccines...... 73 Passport...... 73 Business invitation to China ...... 74 Visa...... 74 Vaccines and health requirements...... 76 Making Flight and Hotel Arrangements...... 77 Flying directly into mainland China ...... 77 Flying into Hong Kong first...... 79 Finding a good hotel ...... 79 Navigating the Airport after You Land ...... 80 Health and quarantine ...... 80 Immigration...... 81 Baggage claim ...... 81 Customs...... 81 Getting from the airport to your hotel...... 82 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page xii
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Around and About: Traveling within China ...... 82 Taking flight in the Middle Kingdom...... 83 Taxiing...... 83 Taking the subways...... 84 Busing around...... 85 Riding the rails to and fro...... 85 Considering a travel card ...... 86 Getting through the Basics of Daily Life...... 87 Finding money ...... 87 Staying healthy ...... 88 Weathering China ...... 92 Preparing for crowding and noise...... 92 Dealing with pollution...... 92 Staying Out of Trouble...... 93 Contacting your embassy or consulate...... 93 Protecting yourself against crime ...... 93 Foiling scam attempts...... 94 Staying clear of counterfeits ...... 95 Keeping out of restricted areas ...... 95 Avoiding legal problems ...... 96 Chapter 6: Getting Business Going through Successful Negotiation ...... 97 Preparing for the Process ...... 98 Organizing your team...... 98 Developing trust and then doing your bargaining ...... 99 Considering how best to divide the pie...... 99 Practicing the Chinese Art of Negotiating...... 100 Thinking like the Chinese ...... 101 Navigating Chinese negotiation tactics ...... 102 Taking the time to get it right ...... 104 Exchanging information...... 105 Keeping track of all the details ...... 106 Saying no the Chinese way...... 107 Treating anger appropriately...... 107 Using intermediaries effectively...... 108 Making concessions ...... 108 Banqueting as part of the deal making...... 109 Earning Approvals in China: Understanding the Bureaucracy...... 110 Negotiating after the Deal ...... 110 At Long Last: Telling the Public and Celebrating the Deal...... 111 Announcing the news ...... 111 Showing off for the cameras at the signing ceremony ...... 112 Celebrating the venture...... 112 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page xiii
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Chapter 7: Setting Up Shop ...... 113 Choosing the Right Business Structure...... 113 Representative offices ...... 114 Foreign-invested enterprises ...... 115 Considering Location Variations...... 121 Finding good infrastructure ...... 122 Locating your labor force...... 122 Seeking government incentives...... 123 Looking for experience with foreign investors...... 124 Touring the Mainland Regions...... 124 Northeastern China...... 124 The Yangtze River Delta...... 126 The Pearl River Delta ...... 126 The wild, wild west ...... 127 Weighing Hong Kong’s Offerings ...... 127 Hong Kong’s special status: The SAR (it’s not something you catch) ...... 127 Perks of investing in Hong Kong...... 128 Hong Kong hang-ups ...... 130 Classifying Your Company and Reckoning with Restrictions...... 130 Checking out the catalog...... 131 Identifying highly regulated industries...... 132 Establishing Your Business...... 132 China, may I? Getting business approvals ...... 133 Landing your land ...... 136 Visas: Getting yourself and your expatriate employees to China...... 137 Chapter 8: Understanding Government Relations with Your Business ...... 139 Knowing Why You Want to Connect with the Chinese Government...... 140 Getting official assistance ...... 140 Gaining guidance and support...... 141 Mapping the Bureaucracy to Plan Your Network...... 141 Identifying key government organizations...... 142 Identifying the key influencers ...... 142 Tracking key relationships...... 143 Contact: Working Your Network...... 145 Getting your Chinese employees to make connections ...... 145 Calling in company big shots to access senior officials...... 145 Depending on your Chinese partner...... 146 Turning to consultants ...... 147 Aligning Your Government Relationships...... 147 Taking the bottom-up approach for smaller firms ...... 147 Meeting in the middle: Managing multiple levels of government ...... 148 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page xiv
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Getting Government Approvals...... 149 Earning your approvals ...... 150 Unblocking the blockers...... 151 Gaining trust by keeping your word ...... 152 Educating officials (without telling them)...... 152 Post-approval: Practicing public relations in China ...... 153 Chapter 9: Building a Local Team in China ...... 155 Looking at Employees and the Law ...... 155 Employment contracts ...... 156 Terminating employees ...... 160 Legal disputes...... 161 Unions...... 161 Avoiding a Shocking Corporate Culture...... 162 Passing up the Chinese imperial palace...... 162 Guarding against imperial palace syndrome ...... 163 Finding (and Keeping) Good People...... 166 Employer beware: Avoiding common problems among job seekers...... 167 Finding applicants ...... 167 Screening applicants...... 168 Making an offer ...... 171 Retaining talent...... 171 Managing Your Employees...... 172 Setting your expectations for basic training...... 172 Helping employees manage their work ...... 172 Earning respect...... 173 Managing office politics...... 174 Chapter 10: Getting Your Mind on Money ...... 175 Introducing China’s Currency: The Tricky RMB...... 175 What you need to know about the RMB...... 176 What RMB exchange controls mean for your business...... 177 Choosing a Bank for Your Business...... 177 Opening All the Necessary Accounts ...... 178 Working with the people’s currency: Your RMB account...... 178 Switching things up: Accounts for foreign exchange...... 179 Getting Your Money Out of China ...... 180 Sending profits back home...... 181 Repaying foreign debt...... 182 Using other money exit strategies ...... 182 Financing Your Business ...... 183 Borrowing from offshore ...... 184 Borrowing from onshore ...... 185 Checking out special types of debt financing...... 186 Getting private equity financing...... 188 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page xv
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Paying the Government without Taxing Your Patience...... 190 Corporate taxes ...... 190 Individual taxes ...... 193
Part III: Conducting Daily Business ...... 197
Chapter 11: Understanding How China Works (and Doesn’t Work) ...... 199 Getting Things Done the Chinese Way ...... 199 Honoring face...... 199 Focusing on consensus...... 200 Working together for mutual benefit ...... 201 Developing patience...... 203 Sending consistent messages ...... 204 Sharing information ...... 204 Keeping the dialogue going despite bumps in the road...... 205 Talking to the right authorities...... 205 Making Face-to-Face Business Meetings Work for You...... 206 Getting your basic presentation ready...... 206 Preparing to speak the local business language ...... 208 Making an appointment...... 208 Making a respectful entrance...... 210 Takin’ care of business ...... 212 Wrapping up the meeting ...... 215 Communicating Effectively Outside the Meeting Room ...... 215 Using the telephone ...... 216 SMS and text messaging ...... 217 Faxing...... 217 E-mailing and the Internet ...... 218 Chapter 12: Sourcing from China ...... 219 Understanding Why You May Want It Made in China...... 219 Working with Suppliers ...... 220 Finding suppliers...... 221 The middleman: Surveying trade-offs of trading companies...... 221 Straight from the source: Dealing directly with factories ...... 223 Following Tips for Supply Agreements...... 225 Product description ...... 226 Delivery date...... 226 Payment terms...... 226 Insurance...... 226 No toxic substances...... 227 Indemnification...... 227 Binding arbitration...... 227 Avoiding Pitfalls When Working with Suppliers...... 227 Not getting what you bargained for ...... 228 Being outsourced: The factory’s factory...... 228 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page xvi
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Losing your brand or technology...... 229 Including substances that are toxic to your business...... 229 Placing Orders ...... 230 Putting down a deposit...... 230 Purchasing goods via free on board arrangements ...... 231 Shipping Your Products by Using Freight Forwarders...... 231 Chapter 13: Manufacturing in China ...... 233 Being Realistic about Savings...... 233 Considering Industry Development...... 234 Looking at Manufacturing Challenges for the Chinese Market ...... 235 Struggles to cut costs enough to compete in domestic markets...... 236 Highly distributed distribution...... 236 Why foreign manufacturers can succeed...... 236 Selecting Your Site ...... 237 Seeing the big picture when planning your business ...... 238 Remembering what smart companies look for ...... 239 Knowing how government can help ...... 240 Avoiding site pitfalls...... 241 Building Your Building...... 241 Identifying the players...... 241 Finding a general contractor...... 242 Contracting your GC ...... 242 Protecting yourself by hiring a project manager ...... 244 Approvals: Getting through the Red Tape ...... 244 Before construction ...... 244 Beginning operations...... 245 Hiring, Training, and Keeping Your Workers ...... 246 Encouraging teamwork...... 246 Expecting skills gaps...... 246 Training...... 247 Treating your workers well ...... 248 Hiring Quality Control ...... 249 Chapter 14: Selling in China ...... 251 Appealing to the Chinese Consumer ...... 251 Knowing your customer ...... 252 Helping customers show their “face” ...... 253 Looking at name recognition: The Chinese and branding ...... 253 Getting Ready to Deliver: It’s All about Distribution! ...... 256 Where your products get sold...... 256 Three distribution choices...... 258 Trench warfare in distribution ...... 261 Advertising...... 263 Keeping the message simple and obvious ...... 263 Getting the message out...... 264 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page xvii
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Deciding How You Want to Enter the Market ...... 265 Guns blazing...... 266 Starting with a beachhead ...... 266 Letting others blaze the trails for you ...... 267 Selling to Consumers ...... 268 Retail stores ...... 268 Franchising...... 269 Direct-to-consumer...... 272 Selling services ...... 272 Selling Business-to-Business...... 273
Part IV: Building Successful Business Relationships ....275
Chapter 15: Fostering Fruitful Friendships: The Art of Guan Xi . . . . .277 You Scratch My Back, I’ll Scratch Yours: Introducing Guan Xi...... 277 Trusting performance...... 278 Repaying favors ...... 279 Developing guan xi in government and business...... 280 Developing Your Own Guan Xi ...... 282 Starting from square one: Reaching out...... 282 Building bridges to your target contacts ...... 284 Following through on your promises...... 286 Putting your best foot forward ...... 287 Looking at the Limitations of Guan Xi ...... 287 Chapter 16: Saying and Doing the Right Things: Chinese Business Etiquette ...... 289 Minding Your Business Manners...... 289 Dressing for success ...... 290 Greeting and meeting the Chinese ...... 291 Presenting your business card ...... 291 Behaving yourself in Chinese company ...... 293 Enjoying a Chinese Banquet ...... 294 Knowing what to expect ...... 295 Navigating the many courses...... 299 Eating the Chinese way: Using chopsticks...... 301 Drinking at the banquet...... 302 Understanding Chinese banquet behavior ...... 304 Returning the favor: Hosting a banquet ...... 306 Tokens of Appreciation: Giving Gifts Correctly...... 307 Deciding how much to spend ...... 308 Choosing an appropriate gift ...... 308 Paying attention to presentation...... 309 Exchanging gifts...... 309 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page xviii
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Chapter 17: Managing Risks in China ...... 311 Doing Due Diligence...... 311 The basics: Reviewing the business license ...... 312 Practicing DD for joint ventures...... 312 Doing DD for hiring individuals ...... 313 Controlling Financial Risks ...... 313 Counting beans differently...... 314 Balancing an out-of-balance sheet ...... 314 Exposing shadow businesses ...... 315 Practicing common-sense controls...... 315 Supporting controls through company culture...... 316 Limiting Your Legal Risks...... 316 Thinking locally ...... 317 Implementing corporate governance ...... 318 Combating Corruption...... 320 Understanding bribery laws ...... 320 Keeping government relationships straight ...... 321 Training for compliance ...... 321 Managing donations responsibly ...... 322 Resolving Disputes through Arbitration ...... 322 Understanding arbitration clauses ...... 322 Surveying arbitration bodies ...... 323 The rulebook: Determining governing law...... 324 Enforcing the rulings...... 324 Protecting Intellectual Property...... 325 Getting IP registered early...... 325 Taking proactive legal measures ...... 326 Practicing realistic precautions...... 327 Managing Environmental Risks ...... 328 Surveying environmental crime and punishment...... 329 Practicing more than good intentions ...... 329 Getting help...... 330 Insuring Your Business Risks...... 331 Controlling the insurance program...... 332 Getting insurance advice...... 332 Knowing your choices of companies...... 332 Looking at basic types of insurance ...... 333 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page xix
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Part V: The Part of Tens ...... 335
Chapter 18: Ten Clauses You Want in Your Contracts ...... 337
Chapter 19: Ten Fun Ways to Spend Your Downtime in China . . . . .343
Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Stay on the Path to Profitability ...... 349
Index...... 355 02_049297 ftoc.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page xx 03_049297 intro.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page 1
Introduction
or many Westerners, something about China is so intense and exciting Fthat it’s a social glue among those who’ve spent some time there. We met through a mutual acquaintance who knew we had backgrounds in China. Over lunch, we swapped stories (and laughs) about living and doing business in China — how challenging the market is, how strong a role government plays in business there, how overwhelming the country can feel, and how everything seems to take so much longer to get done. We both admitted that a solid how- to guide could’ve saved us a good deal of time hard spent climbing the learn- ing curve. And so Doing Business in China For Dummies was born.
We think (and hope) that you can find this book useful as a starting point and reference in your China business adventure. As you find out when reading the book, little about doing business there is easy. Your company needs to figure out how the Chinese business system works and how to develop and manage Chinese relationships — and your company needs to be willing to make a commitment to the market for the long haul. You need a lot of patience along the way, too. But with this book as your guide, your company (and you per- sonally) can benefit from the opportunities that China offers.
About This Book Doing Business in China For Dummies tells you what you need to know to suc- ceed in China. How does business really work there? How do you get started? What do you need to do to get your business up and running properly?
You decide where to start and what to read. This book is a reference tool for you and your business when and where you need it. It’s designed so you can read and understand chapters of interest without having to read the rest of the book. (Of course, you’ll be better prepared if you do read the whole thing, even if you don’t do so in order.) Just use the table of contents or index to find the topics you want. 03_049297 intro.qxp 6/25/07 8:39 PM Page 2
2 Doing Business in China For Dummies
This book is organized for easy reference. It’s divided into five parts, each with multiple chapters. Within each chapter are various sections that discuss some aspect of doing business in China, such as