ECOVIS AT AMERICAN BUSINESS UNIVERSITY’S PANEL DISCUSSION IN BEIJING

On Friday, 28^th of July 2015, Manuela Reintgen, Senior Business Development Manager at Ecovis Beijing, was invited to speak in a panel discussion on the topic: business prospects and risks in China. With keen interest and curious minds, the group of around 70 EMBA students from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) flooded into the Celestial conference room at the Regent Hotel Beijing. Coming from the USA in the course of a university program, many of them having their first China experience, they will stay around one week, attending presentations and lectures or visiting well-known companies such as Baidu. Even though it was the first day after the student’s arrival, the audience brought both energy and interest whilst the panel gave them insight to the Chinese market.

The panel consisted of three experienced China experts, Mr William Baker, Financial Advisor in private practice, Mr Bill Young, Executive Director at PMS Project Management Services Pty Ltd, and Ms. Manuela Reintgen, our current Business Development Manager. After a few short words from the organizers, the International Study Programs, the session kicked off with Manuela’s brief introduction to her extensive China experience. Having started here with an internship and then staying & progressing with her professional life in both Shanghai and Beijing, she is well versed in taxation and legal regulations for foreign businesses in China. This rang clear in her advice to the American students when asked about the market entry barriers and other challenges for foreign companies in China.

Later that week, Ms. Reintgen was invited again to speak in front of a group of international elite students from universities all over the world. Her knowledge and background not only lead through challenges and legal matters such as Individual Property Rights, the practice of counterfeiting and plagiarising of merchandise or the difficulty of Joint Ventures in China, but also through cultural issues and business customs. Drawing from her own experience of how to behave in business meetings and deal with business partners in order to build up long-term partnerships, she engaged the students with useful advice for getting things done in China. Long-lasting and slowly growing relationships with clients, business partners and government officials are of great importance in the country of “Guanxi”. Though difficult to obtain, but once received, they often proof to be highly beneficial.

 Benefiting from the expert’s knowledge the audience asked many questions and got a quite comprehensive understanding of how to do business in China. By the end of the day, everyone walked away with a profound insight into the Chinese business world, better understanding the cultural differences, and that it offers big opportunities in the future.