Why TO invest in China?
There are several reasons for a given company not to invest in a foreign country, i.e. inadequate domestic market, economic system, government policy, infrastructure, supply of skilled labour, and so on. Therefore, very often the location advantages of a country are simply too few to attract foreign investors.
However, this rule clearly does not apply to the Chinese case. What makes China such a desired place for foreign investments?
1. Relocation overseas to Third World production sites is often the result of rising domestic costs (especially wages costs). This factor is crucially important for export oriented FDI. Currency appreciation together with higher levels of rents and labour costs in the home country can cause a loss of international competitiveness, and China’s labour intensive market compensates that.
2. Taxation reasons. China encourages special incentives of low taxes and subsidized infrastructure. China has signed a tax treaty with a few countries in order to avoid double taxation. In addition, a preferential taxation policy is applicable for investment in China’s development zones.
3. Availability of locally established component suppliers is extremely important for foreign investors. China is very experienced in manufacturing, hence finding suitable local suppliers and establishing links with these entities is relatively simple compare to other Third World Countries.
4. There is an existing and growing domestic market in China.
5. China’s political and social situation is very stable.
In conclusion, despite the cautious approach of multi national companies to undertake business ventures and inflow of FDI in China, the motivations and reasons to invest in China are of a great number, and foreign companies are now moving ahead at full steam to capitalize on China’s fast growing market and more investor friendly environment.
Apr 9, 2008
Science and Technology vs Agricalture in China
Science and technology are the only solution for the solemn problems faced by the agricultural sector in China- prospects for foreign investors
By Yael Trau
Agriculture occupies a vital place in China, and has an imperative role, both in economic provisos and in social-political provisos.
The economic role of agriculture is illustrated, predominantly, at being the key tool for the implementation of the food security plan. Furthermore, the agricultural sector is an enormous employment device, responsible for the employing of estimated 350 million farmers, by far the biggest sector in China. In addition, although in the developed world agriculture accounts for a fairly low proportion of the GDP: in 2002, Japan’s agricultural sector was only 1.4 per cent of its GDP and 5 per cent of employment, and in the United States it was 2 per cent of GDP and 2 per cent of employment, in China, in the year of 2003, agriculture accounted for 13 per cent of GDP and 40 per cent of all employment. Its economic role, thus, is fundamental.
The social political significance of agriculture in China, at the beginning of the 21st century, is based upon two main levels. On the symbolic level this sector is likely to best tie the communist ethos accompanied with the PRC heritage, to its present market orientated policy (“Socialist open market”). On the practical surface, due to its vast scope, i.e. 60 per cent of the Chinese population is regarded as rural; and over 40 per cent directly employed in the sector, agriculture is in actual fact a condition to stability. It is a well-believed perception amongst the leadership of China that the farmers of China still hold the keys to stability in modern China, even and perhaps more than ever under the open door policy and reforms. It is therefore indisputable that the statement adopted in 1961 “Agriculture is the foundation of the economy”, is indeed still valid.
Nevertheless its unambiguous importance, the agricultural sector in China is facing immense obstacles in the process of fulfilling its economic and social roles. The main obstacles and limitations for the agricultural sector in China are both on the macroeconomic level i.e. national problems (natural disasters for example) and on the microeconomic level – the farm unit. In general, the farms in China are very small; they suffer from lack of technology, limited access to innovations and improvements in the sector, and limited access to further professional training. In addition, farmers’ incomes are extremely low.
Deng Xiaoping always stressed the prominent of science and technology in the development of agriculture. He said,”The development of agriculture depends first on policy, and second on science. There is no limit to developments in science and technology or to the role that they can play…in the end it may be that science will provide a solution to our agricultural problems”.
Deng’s argument has been a basic guideline behind China’s agricultural modernization and construction. Moreover, the idea that science and technology are primary productive forces was used in the first time in the agricultural context. The implications of that were an emphasis on agricultural scientific research, and education, in order to enhance the scientific quality of farmers and raise the quality of agricultural scientific and technological equipment, adapting it to the needs of farm modernization.
Accordingly, China’s new policy under the open door policy and reforms, which was coordinated with price, market and industry structural policies such as the household responsibility system, development of industry in rural areas and focus on agricultural research and education, has indeed led to great leaps in productivity and efficiency.
In conclusion, the importance of science and technology in the agricultural sector is undoubtedly evident, resulting in new challenges faced by the Chinese government. Hence, to meet the new demand for education and technology in the agricultural sector, the Chinese government adopted the technology transfer tool, which was already heavily used in the industrial sector.
This is in fact, an open invitation issued by the Chinese government for foreign investors, to enter the Chinese market with maximum governmental assistance and cooperation, as long as they contribute to the technology improvement of the agricultural sector in China.
http://www.helios-developments.com/
By Yael Trau
Agriculture occupies a vital place in China, and has an imperative role, both in economic provisos and in social-political provisos.
The economic role of agriculture is illustrated, predominantly, at being the key tool for the implementation of the food security plan. Furthermore, the agricultural sector is an enormous employment device, responsible for the employing of estimated 350 million farmers, by far the biggest sector in China. In addition, although in the developed world agriculture accounts for a fairly low proportion of the GDP: in 2002, Japan’s agricultural sector was only 1.4 per cent of its GDP and 5 per cent of employment, and in the United States it was 2 per cent of GDP and 2 per cent of employment, in China, in the year of 2003, agriculture accounted for 13 per cent of GDP and 40 per cent of all employment. Its economic role, thus, is fundamental.
The social political significance of agriculture in China, at the beginning of the 21st century, is based upon two main levels. On the symbolic level this sector is likely to best tie the communist ethos accompanied with the PRC heritage, to its present market orientated policy (“Socialist open market”). On the practical surface, due to its vast scope, i.e. 60 per cent of the Chinese population is regarded as rural; and over 40 per cent directly employed in the sector, agriculture is in actual fact a condition to stability. It is a well-believed perception amongst the leadership of China that the farmers of China still hold the keys to stability in modern China, even and perhaps more than ever under the open door policy and reforms. It is therefore indisputable that the statement adopted in 1961 “Agriculture is the foundation of the economy”, is indeed still valid.
Nevertheless its unambiguous importance, the agricultural sector in China is facing immense obstacles in the process of fulfilling its economic and social roles. The main obstacles and limitations for the agricultural sector in China are both on the macroeconomic level i.e. national problems (natural disasters for example) and on the microeconomic level – the farm unit. In general, the farms in China are very small; they suffer from lack of technology, limited access to innovations and improvements in the sector, and limited access to further professional training. In addition, farmers’ incomes are extremely low.
Deng Xiaoping always stressed the prominent of science and technology in the development of agriculture. He said,”The development of agriculture depends first on policy, and second on science. There is no limit to developments in science and technology or to the role that they can play…in the end it may be that science will provide a solution to our agricultural problems”.
Deng’s argument has been a basic guideline behind China’s agricultural modernization and construction. Moreover, the idea that science and technology are primary productive forces was used in the first time in the agricultural context. The implications of that were an emphasis on agricultural scientific research, and education, in order to enhance the scientific quality of farmers and raise the quality of agricultural scientific and technological equipment, adapting it to the needs of farm modernization.
Accordingly, China’s new policy under the open door policy and reforms, which was coordinated with price, market and industry structural policies such as the household responsibility system, development of industry in rural areas and focus on agricultural research and education, has indeed led to great leaps in productivity and efficiency.
In conclusion, the importance of science and technology in the agricultural sector is undoubtedly evident, resulting in new challenges faced by the Chinese government. Hence, to meet the new demand for education and technology in the agricultural sector, the Chinese government adopted the technology transfer tool, which was already heavily used in the industrial sector.
This is in fact, an open invitation issued by the Chinese government for foreign investors, to enter the Chinese market with maximum governmental assistance and cooperation, as long as they contribute to the technology improvement of the agricultural sector in China.
http://www.helios-developments.com/
Apr 3, 2008
New course - Importing from China
Helios developments is opening soon a new course .
The subject is how to Import from China the safe AND easy way.
Apr 1, 2008
Joint Ventures in China
Why form Joint Ventures or other forms of cooperation with local companies in China?
By Yael Trau
China is now a key area in the global strategic of multinational companies and other national companies. Companies have been accelerating their investments in China on a large scale, in all economic associated activities, i.e. commerce, infrastructure, finance and so on and so forth.
However, prior to commencing business with companies / suppliers in foreign countries in general and in China in particular, one has to ask him/her self the following questions-
1. Do cultural factors have a significant influence on business conduct in China?
2. Are there other factors of greater influence?
We can principally assume that in a host country where cultural, political and economic arrangements significantly differ from those in the home country, such as China, a foreign company is more likely to cooperate with local firms that may posses unique industry or firm specific skills and advantages that are very costly to obtain by a foreign firm. This assumption by and large applies to both sourcing, manufacturing and importing from China, and to selling to entities in China.
There are many forms of cooperation, such as Joint Venture (JV), Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise (EFOE), Merger, and Limited agreement. Regardless of the chosen form, the reasons for a foreign firm to cooperate with a local firm in China are:
1. Knowledge of local market. Foreign companies that choose to compete in China need to have a full understanding of the market place. Therefore, they will usually search for a local partner that has access to marketing or distribution systems, and has knowledge of target market’s economy and customs.
2. Status. The status and capabilities of the local collaborator in dealing with local authorities and public relations, and likelihood for governmental (local and central) promotion, are perceived to be vital and therefore rationalize a cooperation formation. This subset would also include status defined in terms of general financial and business soundness and standing.
3. History. The foreign firm will choose a local partner because of favourable past association, such as personal connections, licenses, resources, major customers etc’.
4. Economies of scale. Complementary goals and skills For instance, sales and service experience of one partner, and a strong self financed of the other partner, or existing contracts and ordered overseas in one hand, and strong Chinese suppliers and factories on the other hand.
In conclusion, dissimilarities between cultures, political systems and business arenas, can cause serious problems if they are not understood. It is therefore recommended to create some form of cooperation with a local company, for the purpose of generating important opportunities for growth and development
By Yael Trau
China is now a key area in the global strategic of multinational companies and other national companies. Companies have been accelerating their investments in China on a large scale, in all economic associated activities, i.e. commerce, infrastructure, finance and so on and so forth.
However, prior to commencing business with companies / suppliers in foreign countries in general and in China in particular, one has to ask him/her self the following questions-
1. Do cultural factors have a significant influence on business conduct in China?
2. Are there other factors of greater influence?
We can principally assume that in a host country where cultural, political and economic arrangements significantly differ from those in the home country, such as China, a foreign company is more likely to cooperate with local firms that may posses unique industry or firm specific skills and advantages that are very costly to obtain by a foreign firm. This assumption by and large applies to both sourcing, manufacturing and importing from China, and to selling to entities in China.
There are many forms of cooperation, such as Joint Venture (JV), Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise (EFOE), Merger, and Limited agreement. Regardless of the chosen form, the reasons for a foreign firm to cooperate with a local firm in China are:
1. Knowledge of local market. Foreign companies that choose to compete in China need to have a full understanding of the market place. Therefore, they will usually search for a local partner that has access to marketing or distribution systems, and has knowledge of target market’s economy and customs.
2. Status. The status and capabilities of the local collaborator in dealing with local authorities and public relations, and likelihood for governmental (local and central) promotion, are perceived to be vital and therefore rationalize a cooperation formation. This subset would also include status defined in terms of general financial and business soundness and standing.
3. History. The foreign firm will choose a local partner because of favourable past association, such as personal connections, licenses, resources, major customers etc’.
4. Economies of scale. Complementary goals and skills For instance, sales and service experience of one partner, and a strong self financed of the other partner, or existing contracts and ordered overseas in one hand, and strong Chinese suppliers and factories on the other hand.
In conclusion, dissimilarities between cultures, political systems and business arenas, can cause serious problems if they are not understood. It is therefore recommended to create some form of cooperation with a local company, for the purpose of generating important opportunities for growth and development
Mar 31, 2008
The economic role of agriculture in China
Yael Trau
The “Chinese economic miracle” seems to have captured everybody’s attention, especially when it comes to production, manufacturing, sourcing, FDI inflow to China etc’. But do we know about the biggest sector in the Chinese labour market – the agricultural sector?
The PRC inherited a ruined country, exhausted from both man made disasters such as warlords, civil wars, occupation, and natural disasters, droughts, famine, and floods.
During the Mao era, the Chinese government carried out a wide ranging land reform in the rural areas. Farmers with little or no land were given land of their own, significantly arousing their enthusiasm for production. Overall in Mao’s period, China’s agriculture developed slowly, with some golden times such as 1953-57 when the yearly gross output increased by 4.5% on average.
Under Mao, the conceptual role of agriculture was imperative. The Chinese farmer was basically the equivalent to the Soviet blue collar proletarian, thus the importance of the farmers in the class struggle was fundamental.
After 1978 and under the reforms, China introduced the household contract responsibility system, linking remuneration to output, and started to dismantle the people’s commune system, eliminating the links between organizations of state power and economic organizations. Contracting land out to farmers altered the distribution form of land and mobilized the farmers’ enthusiasm for production. As a result, for six years following 1978, agricultural output grew more than twice as fast as the average growth rate over the previous twenty five years.
The reforms made the market play a basic role in adjusting supply and demand situation for agricultural products and allocating resources, and aroused the farmers’ creativeness and enthusiasm for production.
On the whole, the reformist thrust of China’s economic policy since 1978 has benefited agriculture, as it has benefited the economy in general. Nevertheless, after 30 years of reforms, the sector is still behind most of the other sectors in the Chinese economy.
The economic and political role of agriculture in contemporary China –
1. Food security. In an extremely large and populated country like China, the concept of food security is fundamentally important. The task of feeding its people has been perhaps the first priority of its rulers throughout history.
2. Political and social stability. The farmers of China are known to have a “rebellious spirit”, which is well documented in the history books. When famine, war, or other extreme conditions took place, the farmers of China, whom use to be the majority of the population, and remain to be the largest group of China’s people, chose to strike. Thus, there is a consensus that there is no stability without the farmers / agriculture, and in order to avoid “da luan” – big chaos, the farmers must be kept quiet and content. At present still, the farmers of China are the largest, yet underrepresented group, which holds the keys to stability in China.
3. Employment tool. The concept of agriculture as an employment tool in China is a bit of a paradox. On the one hand there is a massive scale of labour surplus in the agricultural sector, resulting in underemployment or even unemployment. On the other hand, agriculture remains to be the biggest sector responsible for the employing feeding, and consequently keeping social and political order of around 60% of China’s population.
4. GDP share. The reforms in the early 1980s initially increased the relatively share of the agricultural sector. The share of agricultural output in the total GDP rose from 30% in 1980 to 33% in 1983. Since then, however, the share of agriculture in the total GDP has fallen fairly steadily, and by 2003 it was only 14%. These figures indicate a relatively small share of the agricultural sector, nevertheless a noteworthy one in the overall performance of the Chinese economy.
What are the main obstacles to the agricultural sector in China than?
1. Natural resources and disasters. At the beginning of the 21st century, China has still to face and deal with a number of severe ecological / environmental problems, some are the consequences of human mistakes, and some are simply a result of “mother nature’s” course. The main problems are water supply, i.e. shortage, wastage and quality. In the agricultural context, irrigation is likely to be the most important factor.
2. Education. Chinese policy documents state that national modernization depends on accelerating quantity-quality transition in the countryside, because a large “low quality” rural populace hinders progression from tradition, poverty and agrarianism to modernity and prosperity.
3. Technology. The standard of a country’s agriculture is appraised, first and foremost, by the competence of its farmers. Poorly trained farmers are not capable of applying advanced methods and new technologies. Deng Xiaoping always stressed the prominent of science and technology in the development of agriculture. He said – “The development of agriculture depends first on policy, and second on science. There is no limit to developments in science and technology, nor to the role that they can play….in the end it may be that science will provide a solution to our agricultural problems”.
Accordingly, China is seeking technology transfer in the agricultural sector, formed by joint ventures with international collaborators.
4. Limited investment from government. Between the Second and Fifth five-year plan periods (1958-1962 and 1976-1980), agriculture’s share of capital construction and other relevant forms of investment made available by the state remained a little over 10%. In 1998 agriculture and irrigation accounted, respectively, for less thsn 2% and 3.5% of all state construction investment.
5. Limited inflow of FDI – foreign direct investment. Most sectors in China enjoy an enormous inflow of FDI, which particularly helped in 2 dimensions - technology transfer and capital availability. The lack of an outside funding, accompanied with a reduced local funding contributed to the deterioration of the agricultural sector.
In conclusion, the agricultural sector in China has not yet reached its pick, and my prediction is that more and more foreign investors will discover its enormous potential and act accordingly.
The “Chinese economic miracle” seems to have captured everybody’s attention, especially when it comes to production, manufacturing, sourcing, FDI inflow to China etc’. But do we know about the biggest sector in the Chinese labour market – the agricultural sector?
The PRC inherited a ruined country, exhausted from both man made disasters such as warlords, civil wars, occupation, and natural disasters, droughts, famine, and floods.
During the Mao era, the Chinese government carried out a wide ranging land reform in the rural areas. Farmers with little or no land were given land of their own, significantly arousing their enthusiasm for production. Overall in Mao’s period, China’s agriculture developed slowly, with some golden times such as 1953-57 when the yearly gross output increased by 4.5% on average.
Under Mao, the conceptual role of agriculture was imperative. The Chinese farmer was basically the equivalent to the Soviet blue collar proletarian, thus the importance of the farmers in the class struggle was fundamental.
After 1978 and under the reforms, China introduced the household contract responsibility system, linking remuneration to output, and started to dismantle the people’s commune system, eliminating the links between organizations of state power and economic organizations. Contracting land out to farmers altered the distribution form of land and mobilized the farmers’ enthusiasm for production. As a result, for six years following 1978, agricultural output grew more than twice as fast as the average growth rate over the previous twenty five years.
The reforms made the market play a basic role in adjusting supply and demand situation for agricultural products and allocating resources, and aroused the farmers’ creativeness and enthusiasm for production.
On the whole, the reformist thrust of China’s economic policy since 1978 has benefited agriculture, as it has benefited the economy in general. Nevertheless, after 30 years of reforms, the sector is still behind most of the other sectors in the Chinese economy.
The economic and political role of agriculture in contemporary China –
1. Food security. In an extremely large and populated country like China, the concept of food security is fundamentally important. The task of feeding its people has been perhaps the first priority of its rulers throughout history.
2. Political and social stability. The farmers of China are known to have a “rebellious spirit”, which is well documented in the history books. When famine, war, or other extreme conditions took place, the farmers of China, whom use to be the majority of the population, and remain to be the largest group of China’s people, chose to strike. Thus, there is a consensus that there is no stability without the farmers / agriculture, and in order to avoid “da luan” – big chaos, the farmers must be kept quiet and content. At present still, the farmers of China are the largest, yet underrepresented group, which holds the keys to stability in China.
3. Employment tool. The concept of agriculture as an employment tool in China is a bit of a paradox. On the one hand there is a massive scale of labour surplus in the agricultural sector, resulting in underemployment or even unemployment. On the other hand, agriculture remains to be the biggest sector responsible for the employing feeding, and consequently keeping social and political order of around 60% of China’s population.
4. GDP share. The reforms in the early 1980s initially increased the relatively share of the agricultural sector. The share of agricultural output in the total GDP rose from 30% in 1980 to 33% in 1983. Since then, however, the share of agriculture in the total GDP has fallen fairly steadily, and by 2003 it was only 14%. These figures indicate a relatively small share of the agricultural sector, nevertheless a noteworthy one in the overall performance of the Chinese economy.
What are the main obstacles to the agricultural sector in China than?
1. Natural resources and disasters. At the beginning of the 21st century, China has still to face and deal with a number of severe ecological / environmental problems, some are the consequences of human mistakes, and some are simply a result of “mother nature’s” course. The main problems are water supply, i.e. shortage, wastage and quality. In the agricultural context, irrigation is likely to be the most important factor.
2. Education. Chinese policy documents state that national modernization depends on accelerating quantity-quality transition in the countryside, because a large “low quality” rural populace hinders progression from tradition, poverty and agrarianism to modernity and prosperity.
3. Technology. The standard of a country’s agriculture is appraised, first and foremost, by the competence of its farmers. Poorly trained farmers are not capable of applying advanced methods and new technologies. Deng Xiaoping always stressed the prominent of science and technology in the development of agriculture. He said – “The development of agriculture depends first on policy, and second on science. There is no limit to developments in science and technology, nor to the role that they can play….in the end it may be that science will provide a solution to our agricultural problems”.
Accordingly, China is seeking technology transfer in the agricultural sector, formed by joint ventures with international collaborators.
4. Limited investment from government. Between the Second and Fifth five-year plan periods (1958-1962 and 1976-1980), agriculture’s share of capital construction and other relevant forms of investment made available by the state remained a little over 10%. In 1998 agriculture and irrigation accounted, respectively, for less thsn 2% and 3.5% of all state construction investment.
5. Limited inflow of FDI – foreign direct investment. Most sectors in China enjoy an enormous inflow of FDI, which particularly helped in 2 dimensions - technology transfer and capital availability. The lack of an outside funding, accompanied with a reduced local funding contributed to the deterioration of the agricultural sector.
In conclusion, the agricultural sector in China has not yet reached its pick, and my prediction is that more and more foreign investors will discover its enormous potential and act accordingly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)