During one of our many discussions with Chinese expatriates while we were traveling together in China, this one about trade delegations was most disconcerting and surprising.

One fellow commented , “I do not let Chinese trade delegations into my plants in Canada.”  I asked why.  He had learned from colleagues that Chinese trade delegations to Canada were rarely about  finding new business ventures. Rather it was about getting subsidized to free travel and high living for the participants while traveling, plus they are charged to take pictures/evidence of everything to take back.

One other fellow agreed, ” I saw these guys take pictures of my plant, the equipment, our layout, the supplies area, the power substation outside, right up to the power lines leading to the plant.  After they left, they never responded to any of my emails or calls about any potential for business.  This happened to friends of mine as well.   Later I heard that CSIS is very concerned about how much espionage is being carried out by these trade delegations and that many Canadians, including city Mayors and Councils are unwitting contributors to this”

The first responded, ” I had a mid level employee  retire to China and he was approached to play a role with Chinese companies talking to their local /state governments and banks officials . He would dress up in a good suit and get taken to lunches with these officials . He was held up as a major Canadian investor interested in the projects and often his presence was enough to get the approvals needed for these big projects to go ahead.  The officials gained great face on being visited by dignitaries.

These Chinese companies and local officials will invite foreign trade commissions over to China as show ponies to impress the locals.  The trade commission folks never find out their true purpose is to gain prestige for others, not business.  If the Chinese govt really wanted foreigners to do business locally, they would remove the byzantine rules and barriers that are thrown up, ”

Hearing this I fear that many Canadian govt officials are being lead around by the nose with invitations to come to China. One could even call these boondoggles unless a lot of homework is done.  We are very trusting and innocent in this style of business.  Better that Canadian companies went to India if anywhere . IMHO.

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• SolarWorld: U.S. customers and market support company during investigations of harmful Chinese trade practices (solarworld-usa.com)

Rules of the Hunt. Real-World Advice for Entrepreneurial and Business Success. Michael Dalton Johnson.2012. ISBN 780071791380. The author, founder of SalesDog.com, knows his way around a selling floor This is a distillation of 30 yrs of experience. Lots of short relevant quotes and examples abound here. He has a very useful index of Rules which makes the book doubly useful. His closing rules are some of the best I have ever seen in one place.

Your Outlook

• Be generous with yourself and others
• Dream more
• Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about
• Avoid negative thoughts of things you can not control. Invest your energy in the positive present moment
• Don’t overdo. Stay within your limits

Your relationships

• Each day give something good to others
• Forgive everyone for everything
• Don’t take yourself too seriously. No one else does.
• Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip
• Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
• Forget issues of the past. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
• Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present
• Don’t remind others of their past mistakes
• No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
• Learn a new word every day
• You don’t have to win every argument

Taking care of you.

• Drink plenty of water
• Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper
• Eat plenty of fruits & vegetables
• Play lots of games
• Read more books than you did last year
• Sit quietly for at least 10 minutes everyday
• Breath deeply
• Sleep for seven hours
• Take a 10-30 min walk everyday. And smile when you are walking
• Spend time with people over 70 and under 6 yrs of age.
• Keep your sense of humour
• Try to make at least three people smile each day.
• What other people think of you is none of your business
• Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will. Stay in touch.

Your life

• The worst promise you can break is one made to yourself
• However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
• When you awaken alive in the morning, be thankful
• Your innermost self is always happy. Follow it.
• Mo matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

Great cross country read.

• Rules of the Hunt – Do You Know What They Are? (business2community.com)