Huffington Post: Knowledge and Networks Are the Key to Unlock British Business With China

CKGSB’s alumni base makes for a good sample of the Chinese business elite’s sentiment on British business – former CKGSB students now run companies that account for 13.7% of Chinese GDP. When I talk to our alumni about expanding relations with the West – and particularly the UK – they often report a tinge of frustration with the “fly in, fly out” mode of business development seemingly preferred by their US and European partners. They say that on top of this, there’s a lack of deep understanding about China, beyond the macroeconomic indicators reported on by the majority of the Western media.

The message from Beijing is clear: the all-important political will that is so evidently present from Downing Street must be met with an enhanced commitment from Britain’s business community. As China’s GDP becomes more geopolitically and economically important, existing and future CEOs will need first-hand knowledge of Chinese cultural and political issues, experience operating in a seemingly perplexing environment, and the ability to see the corporate world from the perspective of both East and West. The truth of the matter is self-evident. If the person your board has ear-marked as a future CEO doesn’t understand China now, they’re not really going to cut it when their time comes.