Richmond Engineering is a successful Vancouver-based entrepreneurial manufacturer of roadway light poles that has decided to expand into Asia rather than attempting to compete in Eastern Canada or the United States. The process of finding and qualifying leads for joint ventures, the stages for developing an agreement according to Chinese business practice, and the pressures of negotiating with the Chinese are all described in detail.

Teaching note for product 9A97G005.

Nortel, a large Canadian telecommunications company, has been doing business in China since 1972. By mid-1994, Nortel had successfully developed two joint ventures in China but two others were bogged down in negotiations. The two that had been finalized would not make any money for Nortel, while the one in Guangdong that would make a profit was hopelessly bogged down. The chairman of Nortel China was contemplating alternative ways of expediting the .....more

Teaching note for product 9A97G021.