Beijing Jeep: A Case Study Of Western Business In China

by Jim Mann

When China opened its doors to the West in the late 1970s, Western businesses jumped at the chance to sell their products to the most populous nation in the world. Boardrooms everywhere buzzed with excitement?a Coke for every citizen, a television for every family, a personal computer for every office. At no other time have the institutions of Western capitalism tried to do business with a communist state to the extent that they did in China under Deng Xiaoping. Yet, over the decade leading up to the bloody events in and around Tiananmen Square, that experiment produced growing disappointment on both sides, and a vision of capturing the world's largest market faded.Picked as one of Fortune Magazine's "75 Smartest Books We Know," this updated version of Beijing Jeep, traces the history of the stormy romance between American business and Chinese communism through the experiences of American Motors and its operation in China, Beijing Jeep, a closely watched joint venture often visited by American politicians and Chinese leaders. Jim Mann explains how some of the world's savviest executives completely misjudged the business climate and recounts how the Chinese, who acquired valuable new technology at virtually no expense to themselves, ultimately outcapitalized the capitalists. And, in a new epilogue, Mann revisits and updates the events which constituted the main issues of the first edition.Elegantly written, brilliantly reported, Beijing Jeep is a cautionary tale about the West's age-old quest to do business in the Middle Kingdom.

Genres: China, Business, Nonfiction

351 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[GP Fu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Outdated and slightly bias in its undertone but it's still a solid read. Just remember it was 1989.

[Donny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what it was like try and run a car company in a communist country? Well this is the book for you. Beijing Jeep is a fun read with worthwhile insight on the challenges of manufacturing in a planned economy.

[Lifeng Wu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read on modern Chinese history. A foreigner to China will be surprised on how heavy a role politics plays in business.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and funny look at the first American Chinese joint venture.

[Alexander Kwok · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing book that is a great read if you're a corporate entity wanting to venture into China, but also for the cultural differences of bringing ones own preconceptions to another culture.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating a must read for anyone planing on doing business with China.