Designated Drivers: How China Plans to Dominate the Global Auto Industry

New Book Offers Detailed Analysis of Chinese Car Industry That Clarifies On the Delicate Nature of China's Economy

Forbes contributor G.E. Anderson goes beyond the car industry to examine the underpinnings of the Chinese economic system in Designated Drivers: How China Plans to Dominate the Global Auto Industry (Wiley; April 2012; ISBN: 978-1-118-32885-9).

Based on in-depth research, including over 100 interviews of professionals, academics and government researchers with connections to China's automotive industry, Designated Drivers offers anyone currently doing business in China or considering taking the plunge with some much-needed light on the nature of ownership, business-government relations, central-local relations, innovative capacity, and the perceived role of foreign players in China.

Designated Drivers presents an insightful analysis of the Chinese automotive industry and, in the process, reveals the overall political principles that drive economic decision-making at the top of the Chinese system. The book traces the evolution of the post-Mao automotive industry through 13 case studies, with discussions on how successful the central government has been in achieving its objectives and how sustainable a path the central government has created to make its automotive industry globally competitive. 

Readers will gain valuable insights from Designated Drivers as it:

• Explains how China was able to build a competitive industry from scratch while transitioning from a planned economy to one that is more market-oriented
• Offers insights on various aspects of China's automotive industry, including prominent mergers of the past decade, Chinese-foreign joint ventures, and the "independent" Chinese automakers
• Illustrates the major determinants of success and failure in China's industrial planning model
• Compares the start-up periods of the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean automotive industries, with a focus on ownership, key institutions, technology acquisition, foreign involvement, and industry support and structure.

Engaging and well-researched, Designated Drivers places the seemingly conflicting forces of China's unique political and economic systems in perspective.

Hardcover and e-book now available

Visit http://www.wiley.com/buy/9781118328859 for links to purchase online.

About the Author

G.E. Anderson is a specialist in finance and Chinese political economy who has been either living in or frequently traveling to China for nearly two decades. He recently completed a PhD in political science at UCLA, where his research focused on industrial planning, business-government relations, and corporate governance. Anderson has worked as a teacher, commercial lending analyst, and CFO of a nonprofit organization. Prior to attending UCLA, he was finance director for Charles Schwab's Tokyo-based joint venture. Anderson also holds a BS in Finance from Louisiana Tech, an MBA from Golden Gate University, and an MA in Asia-Pacific studies from the University of San Francisco. He is a contributing writer for Forbes and a political risk and strategy consultant at his firm, Pacific Rim Advisors and blogs at ChinaBizGov. Visit his website at www.DesignatedDrivers.co.