There will be challenges, both culturally and financially. Indeed, some entrepreneurs who have made a mint in China are guided by a misperception that they could strike it rich in the U.S. in a few years and then leave. "It is true that there are many opportunities here; competition is at every corner, but it's transparent and fair. If you don't have a long-term vision and invest in your core business, you will not succeed," Zhang says.
For American companies and individuals dealing with private Chinese investors, Zhang extols the virtue of patience and recommends the use of an intermediary, one who not only speaks the language, but who also understands the business. He also suggests that Chinese companies set up joint ventures, like what Americans did in China during the 1990s and let locals run the operations.
Comparing China's recent global expansion with that of South Korea and Japan in the 1990s, Zhang says the outward trend will be irreversible. In the next twenty years, when Chinese companies have acquired new knowledge and ideas, Zhang predicts the emergence of many Chinese versions of Samsung, Hyundai and Sony.
If I could be sure which of my brother's friends were behind those companies, I would be happy to help.
