Cecil The Lion ‘s Relevance To Doing Business In China

Was talking with a friend the other day who told me that he was looking forward to getting my take on the Cecil the Lion incident because I am an international lawyer and because I don’t eat meat. I immediately told him that neither gave me any particular insight into the situation and we both left it at that.

Upon further reflection, I now realize that my being a China lawyer does give me a different perspective on the incident. In looking at the Cecil the Lion incident, I see the following two very clear lessons for anyone doing business in China:

1. Follow the law in China and do not for a minute think that you can use as a defense the fact that your “handlers” told you the law was otherwise or that the law is never enforced. Ignorance of the law is no excuse in any country of which I am aware. It is no excuse in Zimbabwe (where Cecil was killed) and it sure as heck isn’t an excuse in China either. For more on how this plays out in China, check Your Chinese-American VP Don’t Know Diddley ‘Bout China Law And I Have Friggin Had It and China Compliance: Don’t Rely On Your China Staff.

The fact that others may have gotten away with the same crime you committed is also never a defense anywhere in the world either. In fact, in China, you are just going to have to get used to your Chinese competitors being able to get away with things that you cannot. For more on this, check out Doing Business In China Just Got Even Tougher, Buying A Chinese Company? Why China Deals DON’T Get Done and China’s Foreign Company Double Standard.

2. What happens to you in one country (China or Zimbabwe) can have far reaching repercussions on your business in your home country and elsewhere. The dental business of the guy who killed Cecil has been destroyed. For more on how you should alway be thinking about how what happens in China doesn’t stay in China, check out Your China Distributor. Because What Happens In China Doesn’t Stay in China.

Cecil the Lion relevant for doing business in China? Who knew?

The post Cecil The Lion ‘s Relevance To Doing Business In China appeared first on China Law Blog.

We will be discussing the practical aspects of Chinese law and how it impacts business there. We will be telling you what works and what does not and what you as a businessperson can do to use the law to your advantage. Our aim is to assist businesses already in China or planning to go into China, not to break new ground in legal theory or policy.