Venture capital in China: Past,present, and future

This article reviews the literature on venture capital in China and examines where China’s venture capital industry has been and where it is likely to go in the future. Since the 1980s, venture capital in China has grown steadily alongside the robust national economy. The future is likely to offer even greater opportunities, as entrepreneurs are encouraged and property rights improve. However, there will also be a period of transition as the market continues to mature and as new legal structures and commercial arrangements emerge. Venture capital in China has many interesting differences from that in Western countries. The venture capital industry is shaped by the institutional context and China is no exception to this. This article also examines some specific differences between the system in China and that of the United States. Future prospects for venture capital are also appraised as China continues its transition to a market economy.

Kuang S. YehEmail:

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David Ahlstrom   (PhD, New York University) is a professor in the Management Department at The Chinese University of Hong Kong where he has taught for 11 years in international management and human resources. His research interests include international management and entrepreneurship in emerging economies. Professor Ahlstrom has published over 50 refereed articles in publications such as The Academy of Management Review, the Journal of Business Venturing, and Asia Pacific Journal of Management where he is currently a senior editor. Garry D. Bruton   (PhD, Oklahoma) is a professor of entrepreneurship at the Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University. His research focuses on entrepreneurship in emerging markets. He has published over 50 academic articles in journals such as The Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal, and Asia Pacific Journal of Management. Professor Bruton has also co-authored two textbooks published by Thomson-Southwestern. He is currently an associate editor of the Academy of Management Perspectives and is a senior editor of the Asia Pacific Journal of Management. Kuang S. Yeh   (PhD, Carnegie Mellon) is a professor and chairman of the Department of Business Management at the National Sun Yat-Sen University in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. His areas of interest are in organization theory, corporate governance, business ethics, and entrepreneurship and venture capital. Professor Yeh has published in journals such as the Journal of World Business, International Business Review and a number of academic journals in Taiwan. He is currently studying issues of firm growth and change in China’s and Taiwan’s private enterprises.