China Inc.
Ted C. Fisherman’s China Inc. is an illustrative narration on the up and coming economic nova that is China. Fisherman makes the point that, in addition to the powerful force of low-cost labor for which China is traditionally known, the country also possesses over a billion potential consumers to keep their economy performing well.
The way the China conducts itself in the international arena has undergone a dramatic change in recent years. Fisherman makes the point that the Chinese government warned its people against the outside influences of capitalism and consumerism as late as the 80’s. Fisherman goes on to make the connection that the very “pollution” that the government would have staved off is now the life blood of the Chinese economy (Fisherman 88).
Though China is opening up and expanding, Fisherman made it fairly clear that there are still areas in which China has yet to open up completely and play by the rules by which the rest of the world pretends to abide. The fact that Fisherman chose to title the ninth chapter “Pirate Nation” should serve as some sort of clue of this. This chapter discusses China’s rather large bootlegging market. The lucrative nature of this market is evidenced by the aggressive fashion in which it is protected, but it has negative economic effects as well. Fisherman provides the example of Tsinghua entrepreneurs searching out other markets in which “their talents can be rewarded and protected rather than stolen” (Fisherman 242).
To conclude, China Inc. was a solid source of information for those who trying to make themselves better informed about global business and those who are concerned for America’s place in the 21st century markets. Fisherman’s book, though far from being a page-turner, is not short on pertinent information.