Scott Laprise | Communism, Guanxi, Innovation vs Adaptation, & Trying to Financially Analyze China

In this episode of The Negotiation, we talk with Scott Laprise, Founder and Senior Analyst at Research From Beijing, a boutique sell-side research firm helping investors understand China. We talk about the importance of understanding the language and it’s nuances to really being able to understand how they truly operate, both culturally and in business. We talk about what Communism is, in 2020, and in Scott’s opinion how it is actually an “Emperorship with massive Capitalistic influences.” We talk about the importance of Guanxi and how it can affect brand loyalty and customer retention. We talk about the actual rate of consumerism, tying in a discussion of environmental impact and is our western impression of their impact accurate, precise or neither. We discuss whether China is truly innovative in Scott’s opinion, or whether they are simply masters of adaptation. Scott has a very interesting take on the US / China trade war and the impact it will have and on whom. We talk about why being a financial analyst in China is an incredibly complicated and nuanced art. We talk about the One Belt One Road initiative and why the Western media is misunderstanding China’s intentions of investing in building so much infrastructure in foreign countries. We cover a lot of ground so buckle up and enjoy!