DiligenceChina

It’s a rainy afternoon in Shanghai, and this seems like a good time to address a few housekeeping issues.

I’ve started a new project that I hope some of you may find useful – www.ChineseNegotiation.com , which is concerned with negotiations in China. There has been a lot of intererst in this area of late, and it seems to deserve its own space. I’ve already re-posted some pertinent DiligenceChina articles, and will now be addressing some of the issues that I get questions and comments about. I’m hoping to make this site a bit more interactive, so if people have questions, comments, or would like to post an article of their own, this would be a good spot. If there are any issues people would like to see raised, just drop me a line: andrew@diligencechina.com .

Lately I’ve been working on a short series of articles about how overseas businesses can best set up operations in China. I’ll be returning to this issue next week, as soon as I’ve had a chance to digest some recent conversations and interviews with local experts and practitioners. Just to clarify – the people I’m speaking with are all based in Shanghai (as I am), and that is the local jurisdiction we are discussing. While there may be slight differences in law, custom and practice in other parts of China, most of the issues and trends I’m discussing are applicable throughout the country. I will be in the New York City area (with a quick side trip to Ithaca) in April, and if any readers over there are interested in discussing these issues please drop me a line.

Going forward, I plan on focusing on a few specific areas in somewhat more detail. Due diligence, business entry, emerging trends in brand development and HR will be the main issues tackled in this space – with a focus on how they impact on overseas managers and investors. Readers with more interest in managing a China-based branch or business may find my companion site – ChinaSolved.com – to be of interest. The division is clear to me, but apparently a little murkier to the rest of the world: DiligenceChina.com aims to help managers make big-picture and oversight-type decisions about Chinese investment, while ChinaSolved.com is designed to help international managers already operating a China-based operation. There is a lot of overlap, and that’s fine with me. I write DiligenceChina articles with the idea that they are read in the west and ChinaSolved for readers within China. I define my target readership as “international managers”, which is intended to be as broad and inclusive as possible and most definitely includes local Mainland Chinese business-people and students.

I’ll be wrapping up a few issues on ‘China business entry’ next week, and will try to maintain a regular publication schedule from NY – but I can’t make any promises. I am presently planning to overhaul the look and feel of this space over the next few weeks, and would welcome any input or suggestions. Readership has been climbing steadily, and I appreciate everyone’s support and attention. Although online publishing and blogging are new forms, I am still a bit ‘old school’ and don’t encourage feedback or dialogue as much as some other sites. You are all invited to comment, dissent, self-promote, suggest, etc. If you would like to send me a message or comment that is NOT intended for general publication, all you have to do is let me know and your privacy will be scrupulously respected. I look forward to a long and productive dialogue.

Sincerely yours,

Andrew Hupert
Publisher

www.DiligenceChina.com
www.ChinaSolved.com