Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has transformed itself since privatisation in 1992 to become a world market leader in a high-tech industry traditionally dominated by companies based in OECD countries. In recent years Embraer has also become an aggressive foreign investor – in particular by launching a joint venture in China in 2002. This paper analyses the record so far, considering the Chinese authorities' drive to build its own aerospace industry, the partners' different expectations, and the 'transplantability' of corporate success in a different business and political environment.