"Guanxi" (关系) is a Chinese word which means relationship. It is more commonly known as mutually beneficial relationship that is required to build your business in China.

If you are looking forward to Guanxi building tips in this book, you might be disappointed. Almost all its chapters are dedicated to chronological event of Microsoft research lab in China, before wrapping it up with a closing chapter of "How to make it in China".



Microsoft Research Asia (MSRA, previously known as Microsoft Research China) is one of the six worldwide labs, which also located at Redmond, Silicon Valley, New England, Cambridge and India. Its ability to attract brilliant young minds from various academic institutions at different parts of the world would definitely benefit both Microsoft and local technology ecosystem. Various innovations from the labs have also been contributed to the real world via Microsoft's range of products.

On another perspective, this book has more or less served as mini-biographies of MSRA's ex-Managing Directors namely Kai-Fu Lee and Ya-Qin Zhang. Kai-Fu Lee of course later became the founding president of Google China, which famously stirred legal dispute between Microsoft and Google in 2005.

From Malaysia's point of view, the setting up of local labs or offices by technology giants will be very much anticipated. This will be beneficial a whole lot, be it to increase our IT industry competitiveness, or to stimulate our paling local universities.

I rate this book at 3/5.

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