The China Integrated Analysis is our newsletter published on a regular basis, discussing the latest business trends along with providing practical operational know-how. Select titles to read full articles:
Archives
- At the Start of its fifth Decade of (re-)Development, where is China Heading?
January 2020 Facing slower growth, resurging inflation, rising debt and bankruptcies, increasing state controls, sinicisation of minorities and international frictions, should our enterprises keep seeing China as a business priority? - Swiss exports to China at record high, spurring confidence
February 2019 China grew 8.1% in 2021 after a 2.2% growth in 2020. At the same time, during that first pandemic year, the rest of the world economy shrank by about 4.1%. China’s development during the pandemic has generated continued considerable business interest, so much so that foreign direct investment reached an all-time high of USD 179 billion in 2021 despite extraordinary restrictions on international travel into China. - China’s Goals & Key Challenges – and the opportunities they generate!
February 2018 While US policy seems to have become less predictable than China’s intended path, much information is available on the USA’s development. China’s goals and challenges, however, are much less analyzed. Understanding them will allow business leaders to better steer their own path in a changing world. - What Should We Expect from China?
January, 2017 Is China headed for an economic crisis?
Is the new leadership reformist, or Maoist?China’s new leaders have announced far reaching reforms to put the country in a position to develop further as a society and as a nation. This analysis examines critical aspects of China’s economic development and what they mean for businesses. - Cross-Border E-Commerce Bullet Points
December, 2016 A recent regulatory adjustment will now extend current regulations through 2017, allowing continued direct access to the Chinese market for foreign businesses through cross-border e-commerce. This analysis discusses the opportunities in cross-border e-commerce for foreign companies under the current regulations. - China Integrated 2015 Bullet Points
December, 2015 China is pushing a new phase of reforms which will serve to encourage domestic consumption and promote private investments from both Chinese and foreign companies, maintaining growth while keeping government debt in check. This article provides updates on cross-border e-commerce, changes to business licenses, and new regulations related visa availability and tax avoidance. - China’s Production Costs are Steadily Decreasing, Year after Year
February, 2015 Despite near double digit salary increases in the past years, China’s producer prices are lower than in 2008 and only 16.4% higher than in 1996. For businesses hoping to make the most of China’s remaining producer advantages, adopting more technologically advanced and efficient systems will be crucial. - Swiss Survey Reveals the Confidence of SMEs
November, 2014 Small to medium sized enterprises are seeing more success in China, the 2014 “China Business Survey” reveals a renewed confidence from foreign SMEs in the Chinese market. - China Reforms 2.0: What’s Next? The “Rule by Law”!
September 2014 This China Integrated Analysis delves into China’s recent legal reforms including Xi Jinping’s war on corruption, changes to company law, and the Shanghai Free Trade Zone. We discuss what all this will mean for businesses. - China’s Economy is Not Slowing for Businesses
February 2014 Media have suggested that China’s economic growth is slowing down, thus, we felt it was timely to review the widely discussed expansion and “slowdown” of China’s economy. In this article you will find explanations of China’s GDP’s slowing growth, and comparisons with other countries which show that from a business point of view the Chinese economy is actually growing twice as fast as it was in the preceding decade. The Chinese market is undoubtedly the best business opportunity of this decade. - 2014, China at a Turning Point
January 2014 2013 was an eventful and challenging year for China. What should we make out of it and what should we expect for the future? After a year where growth and economic development became increasingly dependent on state investments financed by state banks and Chinese citizens saw social consequences of politicians’ self-indulgence, the new leadership has declared corruption a veritable threat. In this analysis you will find briefings on 2013, with an introduction to the importance of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone. - China on the path to build a knowledge society
February 2013 In this analysis we explore the challenges and opportunities associated with China’s technological development and reform of education. Illustrating explanations with historical facts and accounts of recent events also address popular misconceptions surrounding China’s intellectual property controversies . This article details the manner in which education is key to China’s goal of building an innovation-driven and competitive economy by 2020. - Low production costs to last for a decade
December 2012 This analysis clarify the misunderstandings concerning China’s fast rising wages, skill and labor shortages, minimum wage increases and production costs. Technological advances in China keep productivity rising faster than production costs. China’s world competitiveness is illustrated by growing exports, and particularly with a new clientele in the developing world, setting the tone for continued low costs for years to come. - Growing Opportunities in an Exploding Consumer Market
September 2012 Even with China’s GDP growth slowing in recent years, business opportunities for international companies are accelerating. Absolute GDP numbers which are those that matter to enterprises and the exploding middle class shows that it is a perfect moment for foreign companies to develop in China. The middle-class expansion is finally turning China into the consumers’ market that foreign businesses have been expecting and is becoming a bona fide target market for most quality products. This whole new set of opportunities for foreign firms is highlighted. - EU Firms earn more in China than elsewhere
July 2012 Two articles from the Neue Zurcher Zeitung have implied that Swiss and European companies are not making profit in China, particularly SMEs, and that China is a “necessary evil” for business people. We take the opportunity to have a deeper look at the 2012 EU Chamber Business Confidence Survey. Rather than a decline, this EU survey and other available data on Swiss companies unmistakably points to increasingly positive results in China for EU and Swiss companies over the years. In particular the profitability of international businesses in China keeps increasing and it is now on average higher than in the rest of the world! - Expectations 2012 part 2
February 2012 Raising wage is a priority amongst China’s most recent Five Year Plan goals: the Chinese government plans to raise minimum wage to nearly double by the end of 2015. Does this labor cost rise spell the end of China as a production base? This analysis demonstrates, with elements such as automation or inflation, how the country still remains a low-cost production center while China turns as well into a consumer market. - Expectations 2012 part 1
January 2012 A look back at 2011, pointing out specific numbers from the CEIBS Survey of “Foreign Executives in China” to analyze achievements of Swiss and EU companies, from which we identify the biggest difficulties ahead of them and forecast the following years. - Protecting Know-How and Trade Secrets in China
December 2011 Contrary to popular belief, China’s legal system protects employer’s proprietary knowledge. However, as with many Chinese laws, implementation is carried out differently than in the West and different steps than in the home market need to be taken to protect a foreign firm’s know-how. This analysis gives key pieces of advice on how to protect a company’s know-how and trade secrets against information disclosure, such as centralizing files, using adequate employment documentation or optimizing exit procedures. While more administrative measures have to be implemented than in typical western countries, strong IP and know-how protection can still be achieved. - HR Challenges
October 2011 China’s top concern for foreign companies is finding and retaining human resources. While a small proportion of locals receive an education meeting international firm’s needs, foreign employees are seeing social insurance tax increased and work permits harder to obtain. This analysis exposes solutions and advices to find and retain local talent in an environment where foreigners are more difficult and costly to employ. - Sourcing Opportunities
September 2011 Despite the slowdown in the US and in the EU, China is still predicted to add around 8.5 % growth to its GDP in 2012 and 7-8% for the next few years. New opportunities are emerging in the Middle Kingdom, and this analysis explains why China is becoming the most interesting emerging market and why it will keep its very competitive environment.
