La face cachée de la Chine [The Hidden Face of China]

Unlike the undying optimists that promote China as the ""El Dorado of the 21st century,"" this book deliberately chooses to depict the less rosy side of the Chinese economic miracle. Filled with sometimes highly colorful anecdotes taken from the long experience of the authors in this country – such as the delectable example of the epic of Lai Changxing, king of corruption, in chapter 6 of part 3 – this tome is a wake-up call, centered around some strong messages, i.e. the 1.3 billion consumer market is akin to a mirage, turning a profit in China is very difficult, the rules dictated by the Chinese government rarely create a level playing field for foreign companies, etc.
As to where to start, we would recommend the chapter devoted to the low structural profits on the Chinese market (part 1, chapter 1), the chapter on joint ventures (part 1, chapter 3, with examples of LDC and the Maglev train of Shanghai), as well as the chapters covering protectionism (part 2, chapters 2 and 3), the banking system (part 3, chapter 2), and the deficiencies of the legal environment (part 3, chapter 7).