EuroBiz magazine is the internal journal of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, published monthly for Chamber members by SinoMedia Ltd. Distributed to over 20,000 China-based company decision-makers.

COVER FEATURE: Seeking help

It's usually the little things that hold foreign SMEs in China back. But who has time to solve them?
------ By Josh Chin

Roughly a decade ago, on his first day of work as a consultant in Shanghai, Jeff Lin strolled into his new office, sat down in his new made-in-China chair and leaned back to contemplate his new job. The chair promptly collapsed underneath him. "I'm a big guy by Chinese standards," laughs Lin, now a partner in the China office of global strategy consultant firm Roland Berger.

Lin's point in recalling the story, rather than to heap abuse on the shoddiness of Chinese office furniture, is to illustrate how easy it can be for foreign firms in China - particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - to let their guard down without knowing it.

Last year, a joint-venture furniture company came to Lin with the sneaking suspicion that it was failing to take full advantage of strong growth in mid-range office furniture - a sector in which the company had traditionally done well. Lin and his team talked to furniture designers and the competition and discovered the problem was with their client's top management. Although seasoned furniture experts with years of experience in China, he says, they had lost touch with the market's changing tastes and rising standards. ...

Download EuroBiz Magazine, March 2008

PDF format, 11MB, 84Pages.

SECOND OPINION
Does your China business need a check-up?

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In China:
Alibaba seeks advice on Yahoo buyout

Chinese internet firm Alibaba Group, which is 39 percent owned by Yahoo, has hired advisers to help it negotiate for expanded management independence should Yahoo be acquired by Microsoft. Alibaba executives believe Microsoft will succeed in its bid for Yahoo, and has hired lawyers and financial advisers to evaluate issues such as how Alibaba could increase management control in areas including board composition and voting rights. This follows concerns about how the Chinese government would view a combination of Microsoft and Yahoo.

Chinese regulators have already contacted Alibaba seeking information
on how it could be affected by a Microsoft purchase.

Visit The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China Official Website

The Chamber was formed with the support of the EU Delegation in Beijing on 19th October 2000. It is a non-profit membership fee-based organisation with offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Chengdu.

Today, the Chamber is the leading exponent of European business interests in China creating a continuously growing business forum. It comprises of over1090 members, from global companies to small-medium enterprises. Its mission is to serve member companies by being the Voice of European Business in China.

It is built around a core of some 30 Working Groups,  which meet regularly to discuss business issues in their respective industries. The Working Groups contribute to an annual Position Paper on Business in China, which the Chamber presents to the Chinese and European governments.

The Chamber is managed by a National Executive Committee made up of representatives from various European Member States. The Supervisory Board and the Advisory Council provide strategic input for the National Executive Committee. Each Chapter is managed at the local level by a Local Board which reports directly to the National Executive Committee.

Executive Committee members, the Supervisory Board and Local Boards are elected at the Spring Annual General Meeting.

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