Are Western Firms Growing Too Fast in China?

Seeking to reestablish the rule of law in the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution, China's government in 1980 set an ambitious goal: increase the number of licensed Chinese lawyers by 50-fold. Twenty-six years later, the aspiration has almost been realized. China's domestic legal industry has about 122,000 lawyers, compared to 3000 in 1980. Now the government may be turning its attention from adding to the ranks of those lawyers to protecting their business ' at the expense of foreign firms looking to strengthen their presence in China.

11 minute read October 13, 2006 at 12:12 AM
By
Lisa Lerer
Are Western Firms Growing Too Fast in China?

Seeking to reestablish the rule of law in the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution, China's government in 1980 set an ambitious goal: increase the number of licensed Chinese lawyers by 50-fold.

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