Except that it exceptionally difficult to start a company in China for foreign firms; and that difficulty - spanning decades - has provided China advantages it used for purposes well beyond leaving developing nation status. If you thought American hegemony was bad, stay tuned.

Yeah, it probably is very hard to start a company in China. I think his point is 'complaining won't get you anywhere'. Either you can ignore China, or simply deal with the reality of the current situation and figure out a solution.

>has provided China advantages it used for purposes well beyond leaving developing nation status.

Sounds like -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infant_industry_argument

> If you thought American hegemony was bad, stay tuned.

Sorry man, we don't suffer from stockholm syndrome. It's still time to change America but the current one isn't hegemonic anymore.

I've gone through the process of starting a WFOE and I'm currently in the process of setting up a JV with a local partner in China. Yes, it takes longer than starting a company in Canada: about 6 months in China vs. about 2 business days in Canada. I would describe the process as more "tedious" than "difficult". But what is important is that it's not much more difficult than for a local to start a business in China. Any difficulties are due to China's large and annoying bureaucracy than anything nefarious. If you're doing business in China you will have to deal with bureaucracy. It's annoying and it sucks, but it also hits everyone, local and foreign, more or less equally these days (that wasn't so much the case 10 years ago).

Many of my points are directly related, and the others colour in how China treats capitalism: As a tool to use when it is in their interests, not as a level playing field. Entrepreneurs in China get somewhere if they're Chinese.

If your goal is to get China to change, join the politicking line, and wave your banner as hard as you can. If your goal is to start a business, then you simply have to deal with the current reality, and figure out a way. The article is for the latter group. There are US companies all over the globe, in varying kinds of markets, and political climates, and China is no different.

The guy says in his comment he is Canadian so no anti-US moral high ground argument here.