This book, authored by the head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai during the US-China trade war, is a sobering look at the realities of the intermeshed nature of the Chinese and American economies at a time of increasing political tension. Foreign companies are caught in the middle between compliance with US laws and policies versus doing what’s required to have support in China and access to the world’s largest growth market. Opportunities still exist, but this is a dangerous and complicated time. This book will be of interest to professionals, economists, and scholars of US-China relations.
Author(s): Ker D. Gibbs
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 206
City: London
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Contents
List of Contributors
List of Figures
1 Introduction: About This Book and Why We Wrote It
The American Chamber of Commerce
The Authors
The Role of Government
In China Selling to China
Industry Trends
Going Asset Light
Technology, Innovation, and Theft of Intellectual Property
People, Culture, and Competition
Making the Case for Trade
Our Hope for the Future
2 Legal Services: Lessons of a Technology Lawyer in China
The Legal Industry in China
The Growth of China’s Technology Sector
The U.S.-China Tech War: Then and Now
Investment: A Two-Way Street
The IP Environment in China
National Security and Interdependence
A Prescription for the United States and China
3 Government and Governing: Observations of a Corporate Affairs Executive
A 30,000-Foot Perspective on China’s Regulatory Environment
Lessons from the Trenches
Suggestions for Policymakers
4 China’s Industrial Businesses: Decisions, Missteps, and Lessons Learned
Everything You Thought You Knew About China Has Changed
What Has 3M Done to Stay Ahead of the Changes?
Is Investing in China Still a Smart Thing to Do?
Reasons not to Invest in China
Why Invest Now?
The Impact of Current Sino-American Relations
Getting Serious About It
What Does Guanxi Really Mean in Modern-Day China?
Pack Your Own Parachute
Listen to Your Customers, Especially to Those You Lost
Working with Government Officials
Speed and Perfect Execution
Fundamentals That Never Change
A Trophy for Those Who Change and Adapt
Competition Does not Need to Be a Zero-Sum Game
What Has China Done with Intellectual Property Protection?
My Advice to Policymakers
5 Marketing and Social Media: Staying Ahead of the Most Dynamic Market on Earth
The Early 2000s: Expand Your Distribution And Watch Your Business Grow
The 2010s: The Speed Of Growth Hits Mach 3
WeChat Changes Everything
E-commerce’s Great Leap Forward
Welcome to the Super App Jungle
The Big Boys Lose Ground
Enter the Age of the Guochao
Is China Still Worth the Effort for Foreign Brands?
6 China’s Auto Industry: The Race to a Sustainable Future
The Historical Importance of Mobility Innovation
China and the Automotive Industry Center of Gravity
The 4-Stage Journey from Industry Follower to Innovation Leader
Stage 1: Global Automakers Enter China (1984–2000)
Stage 2: WTO Accession, Foreign Investment, and the Exponential Rise of Auto Sales (2001–2009)
Stage 3: From Policy Driven to Market Driven (2010–2017)
Stage 4: Policy Shift and the Path to Electrification (2018-Date)
Takeaways from China’s 4-Stages of Auto Industry Development
A Perfect Storm and the Decoupling of East and West
How Did Legacy Carmakers Get Stuck in the Slow Lane?
Competing in China’s “Internet of Mobility” Game
Competing in the New “Internet of Mobility” Game Takeaways
The Global Race to Sustainable Mobility
Key Automotive Industry Questions for 2022 and Beyond
The Industry View
The Market View
Stay or Go Takeaways
Building a Sustainable Future
7 Sports Marketing in China: Ball and the Wall
Ballin’ for the Bank: An Early Lesson
The Go-Go Years: Yao and NBA China
The Empire Strikes Back
Medals Above All
The Problem with Team Sports
Beijing’s Heavy Hand
Just One Tweet
China’s Tribal Instincts
Two Steps Forward
8 China-U.S. Supply Chain: Pragmatic Relationships and Laissez-Faire
The Root Cause of Today’s Supply–Demand Imbalance
Supply Chain Shifts Happen
Value-Based Relationships Determine Sustainability
First Impressions—Supply Relationships in China
1990s—2020s Supply Chain
Labor and Management Observations
The Importance of Infrastructure
Commercial Relationships Are Critical to Success
China Manufacturing for the United States, Domestic Markets, and the Rest of the World
Hey Mr Congressman
The Importance of U.S.-China Commercial Relationships
U.S.-China Risks
Laissez-Faire = Allow to Do
Globalism vs Protectionism and Isolationism
9 Epilogue
Index
