This course is intended to offer an informed perspective into government-business relations in China, which are critical to understanding the Chinese economy and doing business in China. It starts with an analytical framework to understand China’s government system and its interaction with economic transition and development in China. This course will focus on the role of local governments and the incentives and behavior of Chinese local leaders. Following is a discussion in detail about the intriguing interaction between politics and markets and how the characteristics of Chinese local leaders affect the workings of the local economy and business development. Professor Zhou will then investigate government-business relations in China’s context and provide insights about how to deal with Chinese government officials when doing business in China. The theoretical economic analysis will be combined with empirical data and case studies.

Course Outline:

1. Motivation

• China's growth as a puzzle
• Why are government-business relations so important in China?
• Why focus on local governments?
• Roadmap

2. Understanding Chinese government and officials:

• A framework multilayer subcontract system: centralization and decentralization, decentralized authoritarian, or decentralized dictators
• Central-local fiscal relations: increasing role of land revenues in local budgets
• Horizontal political competition: hypothesis of multilayer political tournaments
• Terms, age, and promotion criterion
• Interactions of two dimensions: answering puzzling questions about China's rise, strength and weakness in China's state capacity, helping hand vs. grabbing hand from businessmen's perspectives

3. Politics and Markets: How bureaucrats' incentives affect the Chinese economy Interactions between politics and markets:

• Amplifications of Growth Targets
• Age 54 and the growth of bank lending
• Political turnover and its impact on GDP growth

4. Government-business relations, political connections and co-option strategy of the CCP

• Understanding the mindset of Chinese local officials and which parameters are important
• Tips for dealing with Chinese local officials and lower-level bureaucrats
• Case studies

Special Registration Information:
You must register in advance. Walk-ins will not be accepted. Attendees need to pay by May 18, 2016. Limited spots are available and attendance is given on a first-come, first-served basis.

Cancellation Policy:
If you cannot attend a training for which you have registered, please cancel your registration no later than five business days prior to the training. If you fail to notify AmCham China of your cancellation in a timely fashion, you will be charged for training costs. To cancel you can: 1) email cancel@amchamchina.org, or 2) cancel online if you registered for the training through the website. Your cooperation in this matter supports AmCham China in maintaining the quality of its trainings and is appreciated by your fellow members and the organization.