In 1990 in Hong Kong, Peng Xiaolong, a Frenchman of Chinese decent, created Longco, an import and wholesale firm for automobile body tools and materials. At that time, the Chinese automobile market was still regulated and limited to large firms, as it only became possible to obtain a bank loan in 1998. In 2003, the market presented a growth rate of 60%. Despite a more difficult year in 2004, 2005 looks promising, as importation quotas are to be lifted. Longco now lists 1500 products. It has set up a network of resellers that covers the whole of the Chinese territory.

East-West: two different worlds that are having to live and work together more and more. Understanding each other better and learning how to take advantage of each other’s strong points will be the economic and cultural challenge in the years to come.

当今中国企业年轻经营管理者，已经形成了一股新势力， 并如火如荼地兴旺发展。 经常出现在谈判桌上外商面前的中国企业谈判对手， 往往是二十几到三十几岁， 外商时时感觉到对手只有自己儿女般大， 不无感到很大的震撼。

L’entrée de la Chine dans l’OMC a intensifié l’échange économique entre la Chine et les autres pays et de plus en plus de commerçants et d’entrepreneurs étrangers, attirés par l’énorme potentialité du marché chinois, viennent en Chine.

Interview with Korsak CHAIRASMISAK, Vice-President of the Thai group Charoen Pokphand (CP), President of the 7-

Eleven distribution groups in Thailand and of Lotus Shanghai