Two steps forward, one step back for brand owners hoping to join China’s e-commerce fray

We often write about the difficult task faced by foreign brand owners seeking to engage with Chinese e-commerce platforms in furtherance of two central goals: selling more of their products to Chinese consumers and keeping counterfeits off the market. For some companies, it may be tempting to sell directly to customers in China over the Internet. However, the Chinese government’s ambivalent policies toward outside involvement in the sector means that continued sustained engagement with third-party sites remains the most prudent course of action.