Smith Students Meet with AmCham China, United Family Health, and JD.com

By: Ja’Nel Edens, MBA Candidate 2018 
China Day #2

AmCham China

Today marked the beginning of our 16 company visits in China. Our first meeting of the day was with the American Chamber of Commerce of China, a governmental organization which seeks to help American companies succeed in China through advocacy, information, networking and business support services. During our visit, we engaged in interesting discussions regarding U.S. companies operating on the ground. We learned about opportunities, trends, and common pain points within China’s services sector. Additionally, we gained insight on historical, cultural, and socio-economic aspects which impact doing business in the country.

United Family Health

Our second meeting was with United Family Health (UFH) which highlighted China’s healthcare industry and a background of private healthcare services sector in the country. A few interesting facts we picked up during our visit:

• Different regions have different consumer preferences, particularly when it comes to medical values and preferred style of treatment. Traditional health practices and medicine are still valued by many patients throughout China.
• Demographic shifts such as the aging population and single child generations are driving many of the healthcare decisions and having an impact on the services needed and offered.

JD.com

We wrapped up our first day of business meetings with a visit to JD.com, the largest online retailer in China. The company differentiates itself by providing authentic products from trusted manufacturers and designers in a timely and reliable fashion. Smith students toured JD.com’s corporate headquarters and got a chance to witness JD’s work culture, company showrooms and niche products within their facility.