This week on China Corner Office, Chris Marquis talks to Alison Schonberg, manager of Business Advisory Services at the US-China Business Council. Alison recently authored a report on government procurement in China, and while the topic may sound somewhat dry, it is in fact of enormous consequence for American firms operating in China. Alison discusses how government procurement is designed in China, and ways that governments at different levels and state-owned enterprises are able to execute an implicit “buy Chinese” policy, which in some cases is in violation of international agreements, including terms of China’s WTO accession. Also discussed are the number of ways that American companies are working with local companies and governments to deal with this increasingly restrictive environment.
