As I mentioned earlier, one of critical success factors of doing business in or with China is a credible partner in China. It is a challenge if you want to do everything by yourself but it would be more realistic if you work together with a reliable partner to achieve a success. How?

There are many ways to find a good partner. It may come from recommendations from other people that you know well, from government agencies that can advise you like Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) or Malaysian overseas missions. Another common and relatively effective way to look for partners is through participations in international exhibitions overseas. In fact, though this is a traditional way of promoting your products and services internationally, these events are still much relevant to those who are especially new in international market. During participation in the exhibitions, you not only can introduce your products but also can establish contacts with potential partners who come and visit your booth.

You may receive hundreds or even thousands of visitors during the period of exhibition and many of them probably interested in your products/services and interested to become your partner; in the form of distributorship or importing. Then come another challenge; from all these interested potential partners, who will be the right partner(s). Let's see if you want only a sole distributor of your products for China market, how do you choose the 'right' partner from many. You then need to assess the credibility and reliability of this partner, via many ways, including via your already existing contacts in China, internet, local commercial authorities in China like Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), municipal bureau of trade and investment as well as Malaysian representative offices in China like MATRADE, MIDA, and Malaysian overseas Embassies/Consulates.

This proper due diligence is essential to be conducted before a final selection of a partner is made. One thing for sure your partner should not show genuine interest in your products but also should be supportive to you to overcome regulatory hurdles for your product to enter China market and work closely together in marketing and promotion activities for your products to gain customers' acceptance. Sure you do not want parners that can give 1001 promise before they get the business but later end up failing in the market or you do not want  partners who say everything 'no problem' but after the deal sealed, then you realise that there 'are many problems'.

So, finding the right partner is important. It is not easy but you have to if you want to succeed in business. This applies not only for China market but also elsewhere.

What else important beside finding a right partner? Next, do you have the right product or services for China market? This is from the perspective of selling products/services to China.