10.08.08
You can't read a business magazine today without reading about China. Having staged a successful Olympic Games and endured a devastating earthquake, China has been in the news a lot this year. With the world's largest population and the second largest economy (which grew at 11 percent in 2007) China is becoming an important part of the international strategy for more and more companies. However, you can't just take your knowledge of doing business in the United States or Europe and apply it directly to China. The business climate, culture and political system are vastly different from any Western country. If you want to succeed in China you need to be armed with a vast amount of local knowledge. The five blogs reviewed here can help you gain some necessary and practical knowledge that will help you in the launch of any Chinese business venture.
Richard Brubaker has been working in China since 2001. Based in Shanghai, he is the founder of China Strategic Development Partners, a consulting firm helping international companies learn about, source from, or enter the Chinese market. He started his blog, All Roads Lead to China, in early 2006 with the objective of "providing accurate, up-to-date information on China's current trends, macroeconomic development, regional differences and consumer preferences." Brubaker tackles many of the major issues such as manufacturing in China, quality control, logistics and distribution, and even corporate social responsibility. For anyone thinking about tackling the Chinese market, subscribing to this blog would be a great place to start.
Paul Denlinger is a business consultant fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and he has been writing about China for many years. He is currently based in Beijing and he launched the China Vortex blog in July 2007. This blog has more of a technology focus that the other blogs reviewed here. Posts are divided into five main categories: China, internet, technology, business, and economy with extensive coverage of the Chinese internet industry. Denlinger has worked most of his career either in China or California, so he is able to comment with authority on the many cultural challenges for westerners in doing business with China.
China Success Stories is something a little different. It is an advertiser-supported blog that is run by a Dutch company. Rather than one or two authors as in a traditional blog, there are dozens of authors here and a new post is published almost every weekday. Most are detailed, running well over 1,000 words, and there is a short bio on each author so you can get some idea of the perspective. There is also a huge wealth of information here aside from the regular blog postings; the China Guide has hundreds of links to useful resources featuring information on everything from Chinese banking to hotels.
The optimistically titled China Solved blog is the brainchild of Andrew Hupert, an American management consultant and sales trainer based in Shanghai. It is part of a suite of blogs he publishes that are all concerned with doing business in China. China Solved is targeted at the new international manager working in China, a western manager who is trying to come to grips with the Chinese way of doing business. China Solved was launched in December 2005 and most posts deal with business challenges such as HR, negotiating, customer service, and sales, all of which are decidedly different in China than the west. One thing I found particularly useful with this blog is the Expert Advice area, which is a gathering of practical information gleaned from the mistakes made by others.
Understanding the law in China is essential for anyone considering entering the Chinese market. The award winning China Law blog was started in 2006 by two attorneys, Dan Harris, based in the United States, and Steve Dickinson, based in China, both of whom work for Harris & Moore, a law firm specializing in international law. For a blog written by lawyers it is surprisingly easy to read. Recent posts discussed in detail include international trademark protection, differences between Hong Kong law and Chinese law, the perils of joint ventures, Chinese sales contracts and Chinese labor law. If you want a free legal primer on Chinese law then this blog is the best place to start.
All Roads Lead to China (http://www.allroadsleadtochina.com/)
The China Vortex (http://www.chinavortex.com/)
Paul Denlinger is a business consultant fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and he has been writing about China for many years. He is currently based in Beijing and he launched the China Vortex blog in July 2007. This blog has more of a technology focus that the other blogs reviewed here. Posts are divided into five main categories: China, internet, technology, business, and economy with extensive coverage of the Chinese internet industry. Denlinger has worked most of his career either in China or California, so he is able to comment with authority on the many cultural challenges for westerners in doing business with China.
China Success Stories (http://www.chinasuccessstories.com/)
China Success Stories is something a little different. It is an advertiser-supported blog that is run by a Dutch company. Rather than one or two authors as in a traditional blog, there are dozens of authors here and a new post is published almost every weekday. Most are detailed, running well over 1,000 words, and there is a short bio on each author so you can get some idea of the perspective. There is also a huge wealth of information here aside from the regular blog postings; the China Guide has hundreds of links to useful resources featuring information on everything from Chinese banking to hotels.
China Solved (http://www.chinasolved.com/blog/)
The optimistically titled China Solved blog is the brainchild of Andrew Hupert, an American management consultant and sales trainer based in Shanghai. It is part of a suite of blogs he publishes that are all concerned with doing business in China. China Solved is targeted at the new international manager working in China, a western manager who is trying to come to grips with the Chinese way of doing business. China Solved was launched in December 2005 and most posts deal with business challenges such as HR, negotiating, customer service, and sales, all of which are decidedly different in China than the west. One thing I found particularly useful with this blog is the Expert Advice area, which is a gathering of practical information gleaned from the mistakes made by others.