ABSTRACT
Intellectual Property protection has probably been the foremost sore point for foreign businesses in China. As reform is generally seen as the driving force behind China's rapid economic growth over the past three decades, many experts attribute the lack of rule of law to the failure of the government to agree upon a reform agenda. But after the restoration of basic law and order following the Cultural Revolution, the emphasis on economic growth soon eclipsed the shortcomings of the country's political and legal systems. Chen Jian, vice-president of the China Society of Economic Reform, for example, argues that the establishment of rule of law should not just be a tool to fight corruption and drive economic reform, but the overall goal of China's reform agenda. Li Zichuan, industry analyst with IT research consultancy International Analysys, thinks that there are also cultural factors at play. He believes that the Chinese mindset is also another factor preventing the industry from booming.
