Developmental challenges to small and medium scale industrial enterprises in the people's Republik of China: Results of a 2001 National Sample Survey

The report summarizes the main results of the SME research that has been conducted in the framework of the “Sino-German Cooperation Program in Empirical Economic Research”, with the ifo Institute, Germany as the core unit to provide methodological support. The program focused on business cycle analysis and structural analysis of SME development in China. The SME survey was based on a representative sample with a two-stage samplib procedure on a national scale (1600 enterprises), and consisted of four special surveys on finance, supply and marketing, human resources and innovation. Main insights are the clear diagnosis of financial repression and discrimination against SME and a very serious lack of technical expertise in Chinese SME.