hina speak some level of English, but it is still advantageous to speak the local language because the effort puts foreign investors in a different light. The general cohesion of the Chinese people makes it easier for a Chinese-American to do business than for a typical Caucasian.
Chinese society is marked by a strong work ethic, but the country is also beset by problems of child labor and ill-treatment of women. There is a disdain toward women's rights that begins at birth, when many female babies are left to die or dropped at an orphanage. Males are preferred for working in the fields and for giving the family a higher status. Few women have been able to achieve integration in business.
The unemployment rate in urban areas is seen as high at 2.7 percent. The inflation rate from 1993 to 1994 was high. Underemployment has been diminished by the decentralization of government control. The high unemployment rate, however, is beneficial to investment and development, and any work is appreciated and sought after.
Political unrest has been marked in recent years but has also been suppressed, as at Tiananmen Square in 1989. China has had a turbulent history, and this also means that its future is unpredictable. The leaders of today lack the stature of a Mao or a Deng. The new leaders tend to be more technically competent in some fields while being completely inexperienced in others. The present constitution was adopted in 1982 and recognizes the Chinese Communist Party as the core leadership of the Republic, with the President having a largely ceremonial role as Head of State. It also abolished the right to strike and excluded freedom of speech. The Communist Party maintains complete political power but faces a growing identity crisis and decay within its ranks. The party has been undermined by widespread corruption, nepotism, and other vices among party officials. There are several small opposition groups which might...