ABSTRACT
This chapter draws a distinction between the international market economy and the domestic planned economy, what is called a dual circulation pattern. Each part of the political economy constitutes a separate economic sphere. Cordoning off areas for foreigners to do business has a long history in China. Currently such areas are known as special economic zones. Disability Employment Works Ltd. (DEW) is a social enterprise operating within one such zone. It is a social satellite fully integrated in the hierarchy of a Northern European multinational but operates independently. Its social mission is supported employment, and it only hires workers with disabilities. Registered in 2015, it has grown rapidly. The enterprise is known for its reliable supply of high-quality products. DEW has managed to redefine the meaning of worker and work in its interaction with internal and external stakeholders. It manages to cross the boundary between the international and domestic spheres in culturally legitimate ways, thereby bringing slight changes to both. At the end of the chapter, the social satellite approach of DEW is compared with the approaches in a French artisanal network and a UK charity drive.
