Internet Exercises


1			United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Intro here http://www.witiger.com/internationalbusiness/UNCTAD.htm And http://www.unctad.org/ UNCTAD, a United Nations entity, is the most authoritative and reliable source of information about global FDI by country and by activity and its statistics and diagrams are quoted equally by right wing corporate hacks and left wing activists. For your information, the most common "customers" of UNCTAD info are not SME's, but rather medium and large sized companies, and particularly regional and national government staff who work in int'l trade policy development. You will also find journalists and trade association staff read the UNCTAD World Investment Report in order to obtain information for publications they produce. Read the UNCTAD website to find out more about http://www.unctad.org/ three key functions: forum for intergovernmental deliberations, supported by discussions with experts and exchanges of experience, aimed at consensus building. research, policy analysis and data collection for the debates of government representatives and experts. technical assistance tailored to the specific requirements of developing countries,




2			China is currently a hot recipient of foreign direct investment (see also exercise 3 above). The country boasts an emerging market of urban consumers, a government that is taking a more relaxed approach to foreign companies, a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and a growing retail system. Together, these attributes are creating a very favourable environment for foreign companies expanding into China. Some foreign companies are gaining favour with the Chinese government by providing assistance to struggling local firms. America's Kodak for example, took over three debt-laden state firms and their workers in exchange for a government ban on new foreign-invested film factories for a four-year time span. France's Danone has acquired several Chinese companies but maintained their Chinese identities and product lines—a strategy that has won points with a government that is keen to see national brands succeed. Go to http://www.chinafdi.org.cn/ and examine how China is making foreign investment more attractive than ever. Next, search the website of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs http://www.international.gc.ca/international/index.aspx for information on business and investment opportunities in China. You'll find that DFAIT is divided into several categories such as trade issues, investment, politics etc. and all of these have content dealing with specific countries in Asia. Then, discuss why China has emerged as such an important location for foreign companies, and explain the costs and benefits of the investment from both the perspective of the host country and the home country. The Embassy of Canada in China is also a source of information http://geo.international.gc.ca/asia/china/ Source: "Cracking China's Market," The Wall Street Journal, 1/9/03, p. B1.

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