Today on The Negotiation, Sarah Kutulakos talks about her experiences working for the Canada China Business Council (CCBC) for twelve years, and how doing business between both countries has changed over the last decade.

Sarah talks about the evolution of the “depth of companies’ activities in China”. She highlights eCommerce as a big game-changer for the consumer market, as well as brands’ bolder attitude as a whole towards the creation of IPs.

Sarah says that if you do not figure out how to compete in China, you will not know how to beat Chinese competitors in your own core markets. It is not that going to China is a must; but if you have a product or service “that aligns with China’s consumption trends or five-year plan,” then it may be worth entering the market. However, she highly recommends tooling and partnering up before even considering an expansion. Those who try to impose their brand in China without the proper partners or support group will fizzle out fast.

The rise of the middle class in China was a key factor in achieving the unmatched speed of its economy today. “The capacity to accomplish is unfathomable,” says Sarah. At the same time, it is much harder to integrate as a foreigner today compared to as recently as 2011 due to changes in technology. “They used to roll out the red carpet for foreigners,” says Todd.

Sarah specifically points to April 2019 as a turning point that gave foreigners “second class status”, when, unless one had a local bank account, they would be unable to use digital payment systems. “We are not the shiny new thing,” concludes Todd. “They know now that they are the shiny new thing.”

Regarding how CCBC has impacted her home market, Sarah says that their incubation function has greatly expanded. The decision to enter China is not a light one, but Sarah is now confident that the team she is working with can help serve as the bridge between the two countries.