[readthenotes1]

A few decades ago:

I talked with a business man who said that the Chinese would absolutely perform to contract but no more. Early samples would be excellent, full production would be exactly and only what you asked for. Almost malicious compliance.

I talked with a Chinese salesperson who said they always signed contracts with foreigners using their English name. Such contracts are unenforceable. Almost malicious compliance.

It's hard for me to have sympathy for complaining about people doing the least they can when you're trying to pay the least you can.

[abakker]

Required reading: "Poorly made in china" by Paul Midler. Truly a great look at exactly how this happens.

[gumby]

I heartily second this recommendation.

[nickff]

It's difficult to enforce any international contract, particularly in a country like the People's Republic of China. That said, I don't think signing a contract with a different name gets you anywhere; if your counter-party can show that you signed the contract, or in a corporate context that someone who can reasonably have been presumed to have signing authority did so, you (or the company) is on the hook.