value-added chain

Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard's picture

China and IPR, part III-Caring about Causes

Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard
Posted: Sep 22, 2022

In my last blog, I detailed China’s continuing shortcomings with protecting intellectual property (IP) rights (IPR) and the emergence of new challenges. The question arises as to why these problems persist even though it has been more than 20 years since China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), is a member of numerous IP-focused organizations such as the World Intellectual Property Organization, and faces constant pressure to improve its protection of foreign IP. This blog critically evaluates some of the most common explanations for this state of affairs. Such knowledge is critical for developing realistic business and policy recommendations.

Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard's picture

Circling around China’s Dual Circulation Policy, part II-Implications for Inward FDI

Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard
Posted: Jan 13, 2021

In my December blog, I overviewed China’s Dual Circulation System (DCS). To reiterate, foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) are concerned about the DCS’s emphasis on self-sufficiency, indigenous technology, and insulating China against the international market’s vagaries. Foreign MNCs, though, also see opportunities to satiate anticipated growth in domestic demand and the needs of a presumptively wealthier population, facilitate China’s efforts to promote high-quality development through inter alia the provision of “technology-focused products and services” (as one Michelin China CEO put it), and to supply the materials needed for China’s ramped up domestic infrastructure and production.

MNCs in the News-2016-02-05

Shanghai’s Jiading People’s Court imposed fines and jail terms on OSI China for 2014 safety scandal. China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine orders Volkswagen to recall defective cars. Chinese outward foreign direct investment (FDI) shows no meaningful adverse impact from Chinese efforts to control capital outflows. China rejects media reports that the China-Indonesia high-speed railway project connecting Jakarta with Bandung has been suspended. COSCO looks to win bids for port contracts in Cyprus. Yahoo Japan besieged by criticism about its efforts to deal with the sale of illegal ivory on its website. Japan and Iran conclude investment pact. Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) fines Lotte founder and Lotte subsidiaries for false and incomplete reporting of ownership stakes and structures. Korea Water Resources Corporation to partner with Asian Development Bank to limit water waste and improve resource management. Indonesia’s Telekomunikasi blocks Netflix. Indonesia moves to remove barriers hindering infrastructure projects. Indonesia religious group calls for additional study of Jakarta-Bandung high speed rail. Japanese investors encourage Thailand to join the TPP, saying it will have positive investment effects. Vietnam’s Foreign Investment Agency reports positive figures in January for investment growth and disbursements.

MNCs in the News-2015-12-18

Inward FDI in China continues to show growth year-over-year. European Chamber of Commerce in China President questions China’s interest in attracting foreign investment. Chinese NGO files a lawsuit against VW for its emissions testing cheating fraud. At the 2nd World Internet Conference (WIC), China’s President Xi Jinping promises to protect foreign companies’ legal rights. At the WIC, the Cyberspace Administration of China announces “China will manage cyberspace according to the rule of law, while providing more room for development based on the market” while President Xi stresses cyber sovereignty and the avoidance of internet hegemony. China shifts “Ten-Year Review of the World Summit on the Information Society” in a direction more to its liking. Microsoft partners with Chinese company to create joint venture that will allow it to sell Windows 10 to government market. AstraZeneca to increase investment in China. Chinese outward FDI for the first 11 months of 2011 exceeded $104 billion. Sinopec to build a fuel station on Woody Island in the South China Sea. Australia’s Defense Department strongly criticizes anxieties about the security implications of a long-term lease of a port in northern city of Darwin to a Chinese firm. Chinese state-owned enterprises purchase significant Australian infrastructure assets. Japan provides massive concessional loan to support India’s construction of its first bullet train. French government pledges not to interfere in Nissan. Japan looks to win Singapore-Malaysia bullet train project. Korean government will create industrial complexes in China and Vietnam and business centers around the world to help Korean firms expand abroad. Changes in Korean cloud market draw substantial foreign investor interest. South Korea gives China Everbright Bank permission to set up a branch in Seoul. Indonesian think tank calls for government to move against Freeport Indonesia contract extension.