Joint ventures in China – as elsewhere - are notoriously difficult to manage successfully. With control shared between often commercially competitive shareholders, the opportunities for conflict are rife.
However, China's strict commercial laws mean that joint ventures often have to be entered into despite the risks. In certain sensitive economic sectors, wholly foreign-owned enterprises (WFOEs) are not permitted. Foreign companies operating in these sectors have to choose between investing through a joint venture and not investing at all.
Not all joint ventures are compulsory. Sometimes foreign investors enter into joint ventures for economic or strategic reasons: in order to share risks, costs and resources, or because a particularly influential Chinese partner insists on it. In the acquisition context in particular, Chinese sellers are often unwilling to sell 100% of their equity in the target. Since Chinese sellers can't yet easily take equity in foreign acquirers as a condition of the sale, partial acquisitions are increasingly common.
Given the ongoing use of joint ventures, it is important actively to manage their risks and shortcomings. This guide gives some suggestions to successfully manage joint ventures in China.