3 ms·

Perhaps I'm overly paranoid, but I think moving out first, then getting all uppity with gov't is probably a saner route.

jacquesm 17y ago
He's posted below that his business is not registered, so there is nothing to get uppity about. Also, after moving out there is not much to gain from the situation any more so any time you invest in to getting 'uppity' is wasted. On another note, I wonder how much of the paranoia is really warranted and how much of it is based on media hype, I have two friends working in China and they're managing to get along with government officials well enough, so far, even when they're critical. Does anybody from China have any experience with 'getting uppity' with Chinese officials as a foreigner doing business in China? As in "Hi, I need this to do my work, can you provide it or will I have to leave?" (which doesn't sound all that uppity to me anyway). edit: by the way, funny the moderation in this thread is making me wonder how many people on HN have an irrational fear about all things Chinese. They can't all be moderating out of personal experience.
- Bjoern 17y ago
  You don't get "uppity" with Chinese officials. You either have a good connection to the government or you can do squat. Government ties is everything if you really want to get your business going. The real problem is the international companies providing all this nifty IT tech to actually realize this 1984 path what is going on in China.
  - jacquesm 17y ago
    Yes, they're a real pain. I don't think it is as much that they don't realize it, they just see it as a way to make money. Take Cisco for example: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/05/leaked-cisco-do/ http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/05/leaked-cisco-do/
  - natch 17y ago
    Please name names.
    - jacquesm 17y ago
      Cisco, Nortel (now Avaya). source: http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=4854 http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=4854 There may be others though.
  - falien 17y ago
    All of the equipment is manufactured in China anyway... Why would they not sell to the Chinese government when the alternative is for the government to get the unbranded equipment that is manufactured when the factory is "offline". :P
  - jhancock 17y ago
    I've worked inside various China government departments. In many respects, they have less data on China citizens than the U.S. government has access to on U.S. citizens. If China is on a "1984 path", all I can tell you is the U.S. and UK are ahead of them at the moment in terms of data collection. As to needing to be an insider to get your business going. This is only true for certain types of business. For those types, as a foreigner, you'd do well to stay out of it anyway, without regard to how connected you are.
    - flsvilling 17y ago
      China still takes the lead in censorship.
      - jacquesm 17y ago
        I wouldn't bet on that. The US is full of 'self-censors', and that in a way is even more chilling.

jacquesm 17y ago

He's posted below that his business is not registered, so there is nothing to get uppity about. Also, after moving out there is not much to gain from the situation any more so any time you invest in to getting 'uppity' is wasted. On another note, I wonder how much of the paranoia is really warranted and how much of it is based on media hype, I have two friends working in China and they're managing to get along with government officials well enough, so far, even when they're critical. Does anybody from China have any experience with 'getting uppity' with Chinese officials as a foreigner doing business in China? As in "Hi, I need this to do my work, can you provide it or will I have to leave?" (which doesn't sound all that uppity to me anyway). edit: by the way, funny the moderation in this thread is making me wonder how many people on HN have an irrational fear about all things Chinese. They can't all be moderating out of personal experience.

Bjoern 17y ago
You don't get "uppity" with Chinese officials. You either have a good connection to the government or you can do squat. Government ties is everything if you really want to get your business going. The real problem is the international companies providing all this nifty IT tech to actually realize this 1984 path what is going on in China.
- jacquesm 17y ago
  Yes, they're a real pain. I don't think it is as much that they don't realize it, they just see it as a way to make money. Take Cisco for example: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/05/leaked-cisco-do/ http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/05/leaked-cisco-do/
- natch 17y ago
  Please name names.
  - jacquesm 17y ago
    Cisco, Nortel (now Avaya). source: http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=4854 http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=4854 There may be others though.
- falien 17y ago
  All of the equipment is manufactured in China anyway... Why would they not sell to the Chinese government when the alternative is for the government to get the unbranded equipment that is manufactured when the factory is "offline". :P
- jhancock 17y ago
  I've worked inside various China government departments. In many respects, they have less data on China citizens than the U.S. government has access to on U.S. citizens. If China is on a "1984 path", all I can tell you is the U.S. and UK are ahead of them at the moment in terms of data collection. As to needing to be an insider to get your business going. This is only true for certain types of business. For those types, as a foreigner, you'd do well to stay out of it anyway, without regard to how connected you are.
  - flsvilling 17y ago
    China still takes the lead in censorship.
    - jacquesm 17y ago
      I wouldn't bet on that. The US is full of 'self-censors', and that in a way is even more chilling.