Doing Business In China: How to Profit in the World's Fastest Growing Market (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Plafker, a Beijing correspondent for The Economist, maintains the same restrained, reasonable tone as his employer magazine in this refreshingly informed guide to navigating the business landscape of the world's most populous nation. Behind the gleaming new airports, Gucci boutiques and teeming modern cities, Plafker argues, lie a host of (sometimes expected, sometimes not) pitfalls: frequent power outages, endemic corruption, lawless roads and severe pollution. Plafker also helpfully debunks common myths about China (spoken Chinese isn't all that difficult to learn; businesswomen may find gender is less of an issue than the fact that they're foreign), drops plenty of statistics and figures (in 2005, China imported goods worth $101 billion more than it exported) and rounds out each chapter with a bulleted list of key points. Written in accessible prose, Plafker's book is a great starting point for those thinking about setting up shop in China.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Plafker, an 18-year veteran correspondent living in Beijing, offers advice on all aspects of breaking into and expanding business opportunities in China. Although all businesses should understand the Chinese market and its explosive growth, it is a place only for those with the patience, persistence, and resources necessary to succeed. The author gives tips and insights on the top emerging markets, rules and regulations, cultural differences, and sales and marketing strategies that differ greatly from the rest of the world. He identifies pitfalls, including ethical challenges and power and water shortages, and comments on the areas most resistant to change, which are its media, legal system, and currency, although absolute control of the currency will be difficult to maintain. There are many business books on China, but Plafker offers a unique perspective; his direct observation of the Chinese environment as a long-term resident with numerous local contacts and sources of information makes this a valuable business handbook. Whaley, Mary

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Business Plus; 1 edition (July 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446578967
• ISBN-13: 978-0446578967
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #670,361 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ted really knows China, December 1, 2007

By	Big Pumpkin - See all my reviews

This is a must-read for any Western business people venturing into China.

As a Chinese living in US for 10 years, I am amazed by Ted's understanding and appreciation of some of the subtleties of the Chinese culture, e.g. reluctance to say no, huge concern for one's face or mianzi. His treatment of the expat life in China is objective and comprehensive. He also paints an excellent picture of what aspects of China are morphing to be more western-like. His opinions and advices are specific, and backed by facts and his 18-year first-hand experience on the ground. For the thorniest issue, corruption, Ted gave a sound advice of never getting your foot wet in it.

Ted's writing is easy to read. The summaries at the end of each chapter are very useful references.

One thing Ted did not give enough coverage, in my opinion, is the implication of the strong nationalism sentiment reinforced by the Chinese Community Party through the schooling system as well as the media. A lot of Chinese people view the Western powers as greedy and unfriendly because of the humiliation and exploitation suffered by the Chinese in late 1800's and early 1900's. That sentiment is at the root of a lot of the sensitivities.

Another thing I did not quite like is that the catchy subtitle is somewhat misleading. A more accurate subtitle would be "What you have to know before and during doing business in China". But that is a petty flaw in a no-nonsense book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best quick business China primer out here, April 1, 2008

By	Gil Q. Krakowsky (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a business strategy consultant with a reasonable amount of China experience. I have to say that this book provides the best balance of concise presentation, expert insight, and enjoyable narrative of any China business book I've read.

Too many books on the subject of doing business in China are written by quasi-experts who comment on broad trends that are either obvious or false conventional wisdom. Mr. Plafker's book shows a level of China business acumen that can only be garnered from years of experience. The anecdotes are at once entertaining and insightful. I have successfully used a number of the stories when consulting for clients. I had a recent client engaged a one-man consultancy offering "expertise" in China market entry. The client was shocked when I was able to guess (based on Mr Plafker's anecdotes) that the expert had (1) boasted about the number of visits he had made to China and (2) gone on at length on the need to hand over business cards with two hands. The consultant turned out to have little true expertise, and I established my credibility.

This book is a must-read. For those that are new to business in China, it is a more nuanced and insightful primer than any other you will find. For old China hands, the book is a useful tool to help you synthesize the body wisdom that you have accumulated.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read for China Business book, November 23, 2008

By	Timothy Beech "eTrader Store, Inc" (Ellisville, MS USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great book for those doing business in China. Not only does this book cover social norms and behaviors, but gives background information on why these social norms exist. This leads to a broader understanding of the Chinese and makes for an interesting read.