Chinese Whispers
There is a whispered topic that few are willing to discuss openly. Perhaps companies are embarrassed by former enthusiasms for far-eastern sourcing. Maybe it is the proportion of their revenues that depends upon the Middle Kingdom. Possibly it is concern that such discussions may be culturally inappropriate. Whatever it is, debate about strategies for dealing with Chinese partners tend to be discreet.
Problems in dealing with China are growing: weaponisation of scarce resources; internal persecution of minorities; mandated commercial espionage; overt protectionism; politicised law; annualised economic growth barely more than half that of the USA; and fear of a property crash. On top of all this, serious-minded people are talking about a real, short-term risk of China invading Taiwan.
You don’t have to have a view one way or the other on China, its leadership and the commercial environment, but every business is obliged to consider the impacts of these developments on its future.
Yet, when China strategies are discussed, we hear only clichéd euphemisms like de-risking and China Plus One (C+1). And these are only talked about: they can be impossible to implement. Investment in initially establishing second and third suppliers can be significant, even before the longer-term costs of paying more to trade with them.
What’s to be done? Join us at https://meet.google.com/rvi-rvgq-vms at 17:00 CET on Thursday 16th September for a ninety-minute (max) discussion. The meeting room will open at 16:45 (latest) for you to check connections and say hallo to others.
SWISSUES events are open to all. There is no registration requirement. There are no formal presentations. Anyone can contribute. Also, there is also no recording and no notes so, if you want to hear what’s happening, you’ve got to be in the room. The event is only one hour long – so no waffling tolerated…
Comments and questions are invited ahead of the event; leave a reply below. These will be summarised and raised from the Chair during the discussion.