Large Chinese companies in the US/Global Market place.

Since I knocked the international Chinese presence last week, I thought that I should run this article, you know, to be fair and balanced.This AP article presents some numbers and a few names; but probably no one you've ever heard of except Lenovo.  The numbers are impressive because of their growth, but Chinese investment overseas is still VERY small compared with US investment in China.  But still, the growth is impressive.  Will China in the 21st century become the Japan of the 80's?  We'll see.  There are enough domestic issues at home that I don't think the two are comparable.  And the fact that China is seen as a thre@t by many in the US makes comparisons to Japan even more dissimilar.  But people are talking.Some other points of interest.1.    The US/Euro market is just as “inscrutable” for Chinese as China is for foreigners.  But Chinese are on balance doing a better job of getting into US grad schools and learning the local rules/language than Westerners are doing in China.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—if your kids aren’t learning Chinese, they should be.  Why can't the US get this right?  We don't learn languages, we don't use the metric system, we only travel to Paris.  Really, the US as world leader is much more of an enigma than China.2.    Management skills and mature market analysis and research skills are lacking in Chinese companies both in China and around the world.  Multinational Chinese firms are learning what they have to do to compete and the standard is still "Western Business Practices" no matter how many new players enter the market."  Will the lower margins of the Chinese Co's affect the marketplace?  Of course, but business practices are being set in MBA schools in the West.3.    Politics are still a major part of Chinese business, even private ones.  From the still passively accepted ideals of socialism to the direct investment and encouragement of the Chinese govt in Chinese companies and investments abroad, Chinese Nationalism is alive and well—and that is a big part of the “Chineseness” of Chinese companies.4.    Chinese companies that are successful abroad are companies that are adaptive to the environments they are moving too—gee, no one could have predicted that one!My favorite part of the article is the vision I had of the conversation that went on in the Chinese boardroom when they were discussing a Splendid China style theme park (that no one in the US goes to) in Southern Florida.

CEO:    “Here'a a great idea!  Americans will love a park with miniaturized versions of Chinese sites just like we have back home!”Yes man #1    “Certainly! Every Chinese at home and abroad and on both sides of the Chinese Straight loves the parks in China.   And the Americans don’t have a single park like this!  How'd they miss this!”Junior MBA:    “What about Disneyland and Epcot Center here now?”CEO:    “We have Disneyland in China and the mini-China parks all over the country do great business too.  This is money in the bank.”Junior MBA:    “But Chinese have passport restrictions.  Can’t Americans just buy tickets to the real China for about the same amount as a week long trip to Florida?”Yes man #1:    “Americans already love our culture.  Now they will love China even more, we have such a grand and glorious culture and they don’t even know much about it.  This park will strengthen cooperation and friendship between our countries.  Not to mention make us a ton of money!”

Apologies if my sarcasm is offensive.  But the China theme-park in Florida is a confirmed failure.