International Law

Corporate America?s China plus one strategy

By Chris Devonshire-Ellis

By Chris Devonshire-Ellis

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31 - Traveling around California and Nevada these past two weeks (you guessed it, Las Vegas has got to be an essential stop on any self-respecting conference go-er) it struck me in talking to American businesses large and small how much the Far East is changing in perception for the United States. Perhaps now with an increased confidence in all things China, savvy U.S. corporations are instructing their business development managers ? now 10, 15 years down the track of running around Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and some of China?s second tier cities ? to look even further a field ? other domestic markets and other alien tax incentives beckon. The same is true, but for different reasons, for smaller businesses.

One entrepreneurial businessman I met for martinis in the Bellagio was telling me China has gotten too expensive, and certainly now in Beijing, where he?s currently based. ?Tianjin?? he said, ?I need to consider relocating to Tianjin? referring to the major, yet somewhat shabby port city just 100 km east of Beijing. ?Or failing that, Vietnam. I passed through there on my last Asia trip and it?s looking promising.? (more…)

Full post as published by China Briefing Blog on January 31, 2008 (boomark / email).