Understanding Chinese Immigrants in Prato’s Industrial District: Benefits to Local Entrepreneurs

Abstract

This chapter provides an encompassing description of Chinese living overseas, particularly immigrant Chinese entrepreneurs, the influence of guanxi, and the vast international Chinese networks they leverage to internationalize. Chinese networks can be a double-edged sword, both enabling and constricting their further development in the host markets. Chinese immigrant networks can form enclaves, such as the one in Prato. While these enclaves support new Chinese immigrants socially and economically, they can be inaccessible to the local entrepreneurs. Thus, there is value in proactively encouraging collaborative opportunities between local entrepreneurs and Chinese immigrants. The international Chinese resources and networks could be valuable to the native entrepreneurs in Italy and to others around the world.