For Western companies, it was conventional wisdom that you located your Asia-Pacific office in either Hong Kong or Singapore. Both cities offer modern amenities for expatriates and both have a cosmopolitan air about them. But the world has changed.
A Chinese survey of 112 companies found that 78% of them prefer to locate their staff on the Chinese mainland. Only 43% thought highly of Singapore and just 39% felt strongly about Hong Kong. While the report does not say, I bet Shanghai is the winner among the China mainland locations. Shanghai aspires in many ways to be the new Hong Kong and during my time there I have always felt quite comfortable and welcome.
Companies used to believe that they could “run” India out of their Asia-Pac headquarters in one of the cities mentioned above. And some choose Dubai. But most have realized that they must choose an India location to manage the India market.
