Direct Investment and Joint Ventures in China: A Handbook for Corporate Negotiators (Bibliographies and Indexes in Medical)

Written primarily for business managers and government officials, this is a comprehensive and extremely timely handbook on how to successfully initiate and implement joint ventures and direct investments in China. The authors combine in one volume an appreciation of the nuances faced in the negotiation of U.S.-Chinese joint ventures, an examination of the investment environment in China and an assessment of its past traditions, present policies, and emerging problems. Case studies of a variety of actual joint ventures are especially valuable for readers involved in or planning to open negotiations in China. Several chapters assess the impacts of the events in Tianamen Square on foreign direct investment in the country.

The book opens with two chapters which examine the reasons for China's open policy and the responses of foreign investors to the new policy. A group of chapters then explores the country's investment, cultural, and legal environments and their likely impacts on joint venture negotiations. Turning to an examination of Chinese markets and production capabilities, the authors assess consumption patterns, decision making, customer/supplier relations, local sourcing problems, transportation, the availability of skilled labor, management, and R&D. They go on to analyze the contributions of foreign direct investment, including the role of transnational corporations, and present a step-by-step guide to negotiating a joint venture in China and implementing the agreement reached. Finally, the authors look at prospects for development and modernization in China, particularly in terms of the trend towards recentralization following the Tianamen Square upheaval. In addition to business development managers, students in international business programs will find Direct Investment and Joint Ventures in China an indispensable resource.

JAMES E. SHAPIRO recently retired as President and CEO of Dupont-Xerox Imaging in Lionville, Pennsylvania and is currently a consultant in the field of joint ventures. He was formerly Corporate V.P. and President of China and South Pacific Operations for Xerox.

JACK N. BEHRMAN is Luther Hodges Distinguished Professor at the Kenan-Flagler School of Business of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He teaches international business, business/government relations, ethics, and comparative management. He has published over 100 articles and some 40 books and monographs on international economic and industrial issues.

WILLIAM A. FISCHER is the Dalton L. McMichael, Sr. Professor of Business Administration at the Kenan-Flagler School of Business of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also Professor at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Lausanne, Switzerland.

SIMON G. POWELL is a Legislative Analyst with the Maryland General Assembly. He is the author of a forthcoming book Agricultural Reform in China as well as numerous articles and book chapters. He received his doctorate in Geography (specializing in China) from the University of Leeds, England and lived in China for a year.