What do you think?
Rate this book
Bulls in the China Shop
Bulls in the China Shop is an engagingly anecdotal, lucidly written account of the tragicomic cultural and political misadventures that have plagues American commercial ventures over the past two decades in the People’s Republic of China.
When diplomatic tensions between the two countries were eased in the 1970s, American businesses rushed to China, lured by the world’s largest national market. As they tried to introduce capitalism to China’s socialist society they soon discovered that the rules of business, as they understood them, did not apply. Chinese buyers placed huge orders for which they had no money to Chinese marketing bore no relation to capitalist exigencies—playing cards were named “Maxipuke” ( poker), designer men’s underwear, “Pansy”; million-dollar projects already underway were cancelled without warning.
The Chinese, in turn, were astonished by the indiscretion of the Americans, who prized “directness” above all in negotiations and were at once brash and guileless in exposing weaknesses in their own bargaining positions. Like Mark Twain’s innocents, Americans were woefully ignorant of Chinese etiquette, and prone to embarrassing gaffes. And the Chinese found the American insistence on lengthy, detailed contracts fatuous, if not insulting.
Bulls in the China Shop is a fascinating look at the uneasy commerce between American and China—between capitalism and socialism—and at the cultural, political, and historical significance of trade between the two nations.
When diplomatic tensions between the two countries were eased in the 1970s, American businesses rushed to China, lured by the world’s largest national market. As they tried to introduce capitalism to China’s socialist society they soon discovered that the rules of business, as they understood them, did not apply. Chinese buyers placed huge orders for which they had no money to Chinese marketing bore no relation to capitalist exigencies—playing cards were named “Maxipuke” ( poker), designer men’s underwear, “Pansy”; million-dollar projects already underway were cancelled without warning.
The Chinese, in turn, were astonished by the indiscretion of the Americans, who prized “directness” above all in negotiations and were at once brash and guileless in exposing weaknesses in their own bargaining positions. Like Mark Twain’s innocents, Americans were woefully ignorant of Chinese etiquette, and prone to embarrassing gaffes. And the Chinese found the American insistence on lengthy, detailed contracts fatuous, if not insulting.
Bulls in the China Shop is a fascinating look at the uneasy commerce between American and China—between capitalism and socialism—and at the cultural, political, and historical significance of trade between the two nations.
330 pages, Hardcover
First published May 28, 1991
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 6, 2017
I work with Chinese companies on a near daily basis to manufacture many of our products, so I found it very interesting to hear about the experiences of the first American businesses that tried to do business in China when the trade doors opened in the early 80's.
I particularly enjoyed hearing both how some of the same struggles they dealt with back then are still a pain in the neck today (it's often very difficult to source custom products from China for many reasons) and hearing how things have dramatically improved for my experience compared to theirs (we have email / skype / wechat for near instant communication, and the hotels are much nicer).
I would definitely recommend this read for anyone who does business in China or wants to see a snapshot of what it was like for the early business pioneers. Though the substance of the book may come across as a little dry (with the exception of some choice anecdotes throughout each chapter) to anyone not already interested in this subject.
I particularly enjoyed hearing both how some of the same struggles they dealt with back then are still a pain in the neck today (it's often very difficult to source custom products from China for many reasons) and hearing how things have dramatically improved for my experience compared to theirs (we have email / skype / wechat for near instant communication, and the hotels are much nicer).
I would definitely recommend this read for anyone who does business in China or wants to see a snapshot of what it was like for the early business pioneers. Though the substance of the book may come across as a little dry (with the exception of some choice anecdotes throughout each chapter) to anyone not already interested in this subject.
Displaying 1 of 1 review