Transnational firms and innovation: learning from the locals

What can you teach me?

Understanding the complexities of doing business in China is a difficult task. It's worth sticking with it, though, as you will eventually start to see an underlying structure to what is going on around you -- you'll no longer see just chaos; and glimmers of predictability will emerge. But it takes time: much observing; listening to old China hands; the reading of history books and the odd video on YouTube, such as the one below with Lee Kai-Fu, President of Google in China. Lee Kai-Fu is, like many businesses operating in China, from Taiwan. Grab a notebook! This is the guy that pissed off Microsoft's Steve Ballmer so much when "defected" to Google.

The above video contains some fantastic nuggets of insight, many of which will surprise you. Also, if you think the above video fills you in on things you didn't know about China, just imagine the stuff that the speaker is keeping to himself -- the really valuable stuff!

I've posted some tips below from an old posting on doing business with the Chinese before, along with another must-see video. These resources can help you navigate your way around the dragon's lair. Check 'em out! Photo credit: Jeremy Brooks.

Doing Business in China

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